HC Deb 19 November 1952 vol 507 cc1837-8
5. Major Beamish

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what would be the cost of producing a White Paper containing the evidence assembled for the United Nations describing the violations of the Human Rights clauses of the Peace Treaties by the Hungarian, Bulgarian and Roumanian Governments, given the normal circulation that could be expected for a White Paper of this kind; and what would be the approximate cost to the taxpayers.

Mr. Nutting

I am informed that the actual cost of printing such a White Paper would be about £160. It is estimated that the cost to the taxpayer might be reduced to a minimum of £110 as a result of receipts from sales.

Major Beamish

In view of the very small cost involved, might I press my hon. Friend to reconsider his decision in this case as there is a constant outpouring of Communist propaganda financed by the Iron Curtain countries at very considerable cost? Surely, for £110, this extremely valuable document should be made available to the public?

Mr. Nutting

That would be the minimum to which we could expect to reduce the cost to the taxpayer as a result of receipts from sales, but I really must be very careful about all questions of public expenditure. We have arranged for copies of these documents to be available to the Press, the B.B.C., and the Central Office of Information, and 50 copies have been placed at the disposal of hon. Members in the Library.

Mr. Ernest Davies

In any case, would it not be better to defer any question of publication until after the matter has been discussed at the present session of the United Nations Assembly?