HC Deb 02 November 1965 vol 718 cc874-5
Q4. Mr. Bryan

asked the Prime Minister, if he will place in the Library of the House of Commons the text of his public speech of 16th September, 1965, delivered at the dinner to celebrate the 10th anniversary of independent television.

The Prime Minister

Yes, Sir.

Mr. Bryan

Does the Prime Minister recall that in his speech he said that it was not the function of the Government to decide or to influence the content of broadcast programmes? Will he, therefore, tell us in what capacity, and with what object, the Paymaster-General has been putting constant pressure on broadcasting officials over the last year?

The Prime Minister

This story is quite false. My right hon. Friend has no responsibilities in this field, nor has he exercised any, except in one case, where my right hon. Friend the First Secretary of State brought him in, in the planning of the National Plan publicity. [HON. MEMBERS: "Why?"] That was the only occasion.

Mr. Heath

As the Prime Minister has, in effect, accused the B.B.C. of partiality over the 13 years before he came into power, and as he has now said that the present Government are bringing pressure to bear on the B.B.C. in order to change this partiality, is the Prime Minister now prepared to have a meeting of the leaders of the three parties in order to discuss the whole basis of the aide-mémoire and the present basis for broadcasting and television?

The Prime Minister

Yes. I think that that would be an excellent idea. What I was saying was that the rules and practices have been changed without such a meeting. I will certainly accept the right hon. Gentleman's proposal. We are very much in favour of it. I would go further, and say that such a meeting should cover not merely Government responsibilities but those of the parties. I am certainly prepared to negotiate with him a ceasefire in these matters, or, at any rate, as a step towards that, I would suggest that each of us informs the other of any pressure or representation made to either broadcasting authority. And unless there has been a big change they will have a lot more to tell us than we have to tell them.