§ 18. Commander Keransasked the Postmaster-General if he will use his powers under Section 15(4) of the Licence and Agreement to ensure that the British Broadcasting Corporation refrain from 1128 broadcasting plays detrimental to recruiting for the Armed Forces.
§ Mr. BevinsI would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Chelsea (Captain Litchfield) on Tuesday last.
§ Commander KeransDoes not my right hon. Friend agree that this play, "A Little Bit of Gold said Jump", broadcast by the B.B.C., was a disgraceful misrepresentation of the Services and was anti-recruiting propanganda? It suggested that recruiting posters in the Royal Navy were useless and was an extreme insult to the communications branch of the Royal Navy. Will he do something about it?
§ Mr. BevinsI told my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Chelsea (Capt. Litchfield) last Tuesday that I would ask for a script of this play. I have read it, and personally I found it rather boring. I agree that the play was not exactly an encouragement to Service recruiting. But my power to interfere is a reserve power, and I think that censorship in television is a very dangerous game. I am sure that the B.B.C. will use its good sense to take note of what has been said.