§ 26. Miss Burtonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many people have visited the Government pavilion and the industrial section, respectively, at the Brussels Exhibition; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Selwyn LloydUp to and including Sunday, 22nd June, the total number of visitors passing through the turnstiles at the United Kingdom Government Pavilion, the approach to which forms the main entrance to the United Kingdom site at the Brussels Exhibition, was 1,228,561. Most of them subsequently visited the Industry Pavilion, but no similar check is made on visitors to the Industry Pavilion and no detailed figures are available.
The United Kingdom's contribution to the Exhibition has earned most favourable comment on its originality of conception and quality of execution. It is a fine example of co-operation between Government and industry, to whose generous and effective support I should like to pay tribute.
§ Miss BurtonI am very glad to hear what the Foreign Secretary has said, but is he aware that, perhaps inadvertently, the Press of this country has not given a good impression of what has been done over there and that it is very disappointing for our people who work there, especially when British visitors say that it is a great deal better than they have been led to expect? Secondly, will not the right hon. and learned Gentleman agree that we are losing a first-class opportunity in public relations by charging for some of our pamphlets? Is there time for him to look at this again, and could he not arrange for them to be issued free, as many other countries do?
§ Mr. LloydI am much obliged to the hon. Lady for what she said in the first part of her supplementary. I think that 417 what she has said, together with her original Question and my answer to her, will do something to correct the wrong impression which she says exists. As regards the second matter to which she referred, I will certainly look at it urgently.
§ Mr. BevanIs the Foreign Secretary aware that those of us who have had an opportunity to visit the British Pavilion were very favourably impressed indeed by it, but we share my hon. Friend's regret that there are feelings among officials there that they have not had fair play in the British Press?