§ Ql. Mr. Donnellyasked the Prime Minister whether he will move to set up a Select Committee to consider the televising of the debates upon the Common Market in the House of Commons as an experiment.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Harold Macmillan)No, Sir. I have had no indication that this would be the general wish of the House.
§ Mr. DonnellyIn the absence of any such decision, what alternative proposal has the Prime Minister for informing the public of the implications of this very important issue?
§ The Prime MinisterThe proposal is that the proceedings of the House should 1721 be televised. The only alternative which I have proposed is that they should not be televised.
Mr. Gresham CookeIs my right hon. Friend aware that already a hundred Pressmen in the Gallery are watching and reporting our every gesture, that hundreds of members of the public who file through the Public Gallery watch us, and that at our request there is already an edited radio programme "Today in Parliament" at 10.45 p.m.? Would it really make any difference to have a discreet television camera to give exerpts from the proceedings in the House?
§ The Prime MinisterI have made clear to the House that I do not hold very strong views about this matter, but I feel that it is a matter which the House should decide, and from the inquiries that I have been able to make— I think this applies to others—it seems that the general view is that the House would not wish this to be done.
§ Mr. JayHas the Prime Minister considered arranging for private meetings of the Conservative Party at the Savoy Hotel to be televised?
§ The Prime MinisterI have known the right hon. Gentleman do better than that.