HC Deb 03 February 1958 vol 581 cc793-4
15. Mr. Anthony Greenwood

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what co-ordination he has established between the Foreign Office, Colonial Office and the Board of Trade to ensure that the propaganda of the Arab League is effectively countered.

Dr. Hill

Perhaps the hon. Gentleman will give me details of what he has in mind. In general, I can say that it is part of the normal functions of the overseas information services to counter propaganda hostile to Her Majesty's Government wherever it may be found, and the co-ordinating machinery already in existence is applied to this purpose.

Mr. Greenwood

The right hon. Gentleman said a year ago that it might be necessary to present what he called "an appeal to the bazaar". Can he tell the House what progress has been made in doing that and what policy is put across?

Dr. Hill

I cannot at this moment, but I hope to be able to do so before very long.

Mr. Champion

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that a recent report on television about the Sudan made it clear that our propaganda is failing miserably in that area? It seemed as though only the Russian point of view was known there and that the West had failed very badly indeed. Can he not step up his information services in that area, which is of such importance to us today?

Dr. Hill

As I hope the report to be circulated shows, we are stepping up the information services to a very considerable extent. I will consider the area which the hon. Gentleman has mentioned.