§ 4. Mr. Peytonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the nature of the consultations between his Department and the British Broadcasting Corporation concerning British broadcasts to the Middle East; and what action he takes to supply material to counter individual points made in anti-British propaganda from Cairo Radio and Athens Radio.
§ Lord John HopeConsultation is mutual: the British Broadcasting Corporation supplies the Foreign Office with monitoring reports on the output of Athens, Cairo and other radio stations. The Foreign Office and Her Majesty's Missions abroad provide the British Broadcasting Corporation with background information and comment when necessary on the contents of the output.
§ Mr. PeytonWhile I accept my hon. Friend's assurance that consultation is mutual, may I ask him if he is aware that there is growing concern and growing feeling in this country that our propaganda and information services in the Middle East are nothing like strong enough?
§ Lord John HopeI will certainly take note of what my hon. Friend has said, but I think that he would agree, if he 351 knew all the details of what was going on in this respect, that the situation is not nearly as bad as he fears.