HC Deb 12 November 1956 vol 560 cc547-8
30. Mr. J. Hynd

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will consider providing all possible assistance to enable maximum availability of British technical work and journals in Poland.

Mr. Dodds-Parker

Her Majesty's Government are keen to see British technical books and journals made available as widely as possible in Poland. A stock of technical books is available for loan from the library of the British Council Centre in Warsaw and the current trade agreement between the United Kingdom and Poland includes a quota of £60,000 for exports of British books and journals to that country.

Mr. Hynd

Is the Minister aware that one of the difficulties in this matter relates to the payment for the books and periodicals? Is he further aware that the Poles are anxious to have these periodicals but that the rate of exchange presents a difficulty? Could the hon. Gentleman open some form of discussion with a view to providing assistance or some other rate of exchange for such journals?

Mr. Dodds-Parker

I will certainly consider what the hon. Gentleman has said, but our information is that the Polish authorities have refused to issue licences. Something less than £5,000 worth of licences have been issued, and I do not believe that the difficulty is entirely one of currency.

Mr. Elwyn Jones

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that in the otherwise excellent library of the British Institute in Warsaw there is no English law book which has been published since 1945? As there is great interest in Poland in English legal publications, could something be done urgently to remedy this very limited defect?

Mr. Dodds-Parker

If the hon. and learned Gentleman will let me know what particular books he has in mind, I will certainly see what we can do to put the matter right.