§ 30. Mr. Moonmanasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will indicate the actual amounts spent by Government departments on advertising in the national daily and Sunday newspapers.
§ Mr. DiamondThe amounts paid by Government Departments (excluding the Post Office) for display advertising space in the national daily and Sunday newspapers in 1965–66 were £1,218,241 and £1,110,502, respectively. It is not possible without disproportionate expense to identify amounts paid in respect of semi-display and classified advertising in particular kinds of newspapers. In addition, the Post Office paid £142,318 for all forms of advertising in the national dailies and £47,844 in the national Sunday newspapers.
§ Mr. MoonmanWould not my right hon. Friend agree that the figures reveal a very small allocation to the newspapers associated with the working-class movement and that this is causing a great deal of concern, not only in the printing industry, but also in the nation as a whole from the point of view of the sort of society we would like to have?
§ Mr. DiamondI am aware of my hon. Friend's anxieties, but I think that the full answer to this Question was given by my hon. and learned Friend the Financial Secretary to my hon. Friend the Member for Salford, East (Mr. Frank Allaun) on 26th April.