§ 11. Mr. Gresham Cookeasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the great majority of books and magazines in English on sale in Israel are of United States origin; and what progress is being made with promoting a British book export scheme for increasing the export of books and magazines, both cultural and technical, to that country.
§ Sir D. EcclesI am aware that the sales of American books and magazines in Israel benefit greatly from the United States Government scheme which makes them available against payment in local currency, as a special form of economic aid. We cannot afford comparable arrangements on a similar scale, but we are continuing our efforts to promote the export of British books and magazines though Israel's shortage of sterling is a real difficulty.
§ Mr. Gresham CookeIs my right hon. Friend aware that I would judge that over 90 per cent. of the books in English in the bookshops in Israel are American magazines and American technical and cultural books, and that these have a distinct propaganda effect? Is he also aware that there seems to be an insatiable demand for British books, particularly of a technical and cultural nature; and would it not be possible to have a modified export scheme with some of the features of the American scheme?
§ Sir D. EcclesI am aware that under the American scheme a little more than £600,000 has gone for the export of books to Israel, but in our case we really cannot afford to take local currency. However, we will continue our efforts to get the Israelis to use for the purchase of books some of the sterling which they have.