§ 28. Mr. Beswickasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the fact that the verbatim reports of previous sittings of the United Nations Disarmament Sub-Committee have been published and that a reading of those verbatim records has been essential to the proper understanding of the respective positions of the nations represented at these meetings, he will reconsider his decision not to publish the verbatim records of the most recent and important meetings.
§ Lord John HopeNo, Sir. The expenditure involved in publishing the verbatim records as a White Paper would not be justifiable. Copies of the verbatim records are available in the Library of the House. Copies are also available at the United Nations Information Centre it London.
§ Mr. BeswickIs this not a curious economy to impose? Is it not a fact that in previous White Papers the position, as stated, has involved a certain amount of propaganda for the proposals put forward by the Western countries, and that it would be quite impossible to follow the proceedings completely unless the verbatim records had been read? In that case, would not the Foreign Office consider this to be a somewhat niggardly economy? For the proper appreciation of the subject could we not have the verbatim reports more widely circulated?
§ Lord John HopeNo. We think that this economy is worth making, and these records are available, as I have said.