§ 43. Mr. Ernest Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the names of the chairman and members of the Committee of Inquiry into the Overseas Information and Broadcasting Services and the terms of reference of the committee.
§ Mr. NuttingThe following have accepted my right hon. Friend's invitation to serve on this Committee:
Lord Drogheda, who will act as Chairman;The terms of reference of the Committee are as follows:
- Sir R. Bruce Lockhart,
- Mrs. Mary Stocks,
- Mr. J. W. Platt,
- Mr. Gervas Huxley,
- Mr. Donald McLachlan,
- Mr. Victor Feather, and
- Mr. Laurence Heyworth.
To assess the value, actual and potential, of the overseas information work of the Foreign Office, Commonwealth Relations Office, Colonial Office, Board of Trade and Central Office of Information; the External Services of the B.B.C.; and the work of the British Council; to advise upon the relative importance of different methods and services in different areas and circumstances; and to make recommendations for future policy.I hope that the Committee will hold its first meeting in the very near future.
§ Mr. DaviesWhile expressing gratitude at the appointment of this Committee at long last, does not the Under-Secretary consider that there has been rather an undue delay in its appointment and that it would have been better if he had taken the advice given from this side of the House during the debate on a Motion on 2nd April, when it was proposed that a committee of inquiry should be appointed? Secondly, is this inquiry confined to purely external services or to home services as well?
§ Mr. NuttingAs far as the second part of the hon. Member's supplementary 1004 question is concerned, it is confined to the external services of the Departments which I have listed in my answer. As regards the first part of the question, I entirely agree that it would have been very much better had this Committee been set up in the lifetime of the late Government.
§ Mr. ShackletonSince it is unlikely that this Committee will be able to report before the Estimate is completed, will the Minister see if there is any sort of advance or interim report which can be obtained so that there will not be other cuts of the kind which the Information Services suffered last year?
§ Mr. NuttingThe question of the Estimate was covered in the answer given to my predecessor at the end of July. If the hon. Member will look up that answer I think he will be satisfied.