§ 12. Mr. Prenticeasked the Postmaster-General what are his reasons for refusing to authorise a special issue of stamps as part of the Food and Agriculture Organisation's plan for the issue of Freedom from Hunger Campaign stamps on a world-wide basis early in 1963; and if he will make a statement.
§ Miss PikeAs my right hon. Friend explained to the hon. Member when he wrote to him recently, my right hon. Friend's policy is in general to confine the issue of special stamps to outstanding current national or international events 1128 and Royal and postal anniversaries and occasions. Much as my right hon. Friend sympathises with the Freedom from Hunger Campaign, he could not issue special stamps to support it without doing the same for all kinds of other deserving causes. This would mean an excessive number of special issues which he thinks would be undesirable.
§ Mr. PrenticeAre not these reasons rather trivial compared with the importance of the success of the Freedom from Hunger Campaign? Have not the Government assumed a duty in supporting that campagin to support it directly and to try to arouse public opinion on these matters? Surely a special issue of stamps is the best way to interest the public in this matter?
§ Miss PikeI would not accept that the reasons are trivial. Our great difficulty, as hon. Members know, is that there are many deserving causes both of a national and an international character. The publicity impact diminishes if we have too many issues of stamps. We feel that we should have one, two or three special issues of stamps every year. If we started supporting these yearly United Nations appeals, we should get ourselves into very great difficulties.