NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY (Hansard, 17 January 1967)

§ Q4. Mr. Moonman
asked the Prime Minister if he will seek to convene a meeting of newspaper proprietors and trade union leaders of the printing industry to examine the influence of advertising on circulation, work practices and ways of making economies to ensure a varied and balanced British Press.

§ Q9. Dr. John Dunwoody
asked the Prime Minister what representations have been made to him regarding the present state of the Press; and whether he will seek to take action to avoid the further closure of national daily newspapers.

§ Q18. Mr. Boston
asked the Prime Minister if he will appoint an inquiry to examine the financial structure of the Press and to recommend possible ways of overcoming its long-standing financial difficulties.

§ Mr. M. Stewart
I have been asked to reply.
I would refer my hon. Friends to the Answer my right hon. Friend gave on 20th December to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Carlisle (Mr. Ron Lewis).—[Vol. 738, c. 295.] I understand that the Joint Board for the National Newspaper Industry is publishing the Economist Intelligence Unit Survey tomorrow and the Government will consider the Survey and the action which the Joint Board propose to take on it.

§ Mr. Moonman
In thanking my right hon. Friend for that reply, may I ask two supplementary questions? First, would my right hon. Friend agree that such a meeting would give practical force to the Prime Minister's statement on the newspaper industry? Secondly, in view of the current speculation about the closure of another national newspaper before the end of the year, would my right hon. Friend say what sort of steps the Prime Minister will take to try to solve this problem?

§ Mr. Stewart
I think the answer to both questions is that we ought to await 29 the consideration by the Joint Board of the E.I.U. Survey. It is important that we should know the newspaper world's reaction to this before we proceed to the consideration of what action, if any, would be appropriate for the Government to undertake.

§ Dr. Dunwoody
Would not my right hon. Friend agree that there is considerable and increasing concern at the tendency for the concentration of the ownership of the national Press into fewer and fewer hands? If the tendency continues, some form of Government action will be necessary if we are to maintain a free Press in which the whole range of political opinions can be expressed.

§ Mr. Stewart
That might well be, but I think my hon. Friend will agree that the next appropriate step is to get the reactions of the industry itself to the Survey.

§ Mr. Boston
In considering what action to take, would my right hon. Friend bear in mind two points: first, the urgent short-term need perhaps for an investigation into the financial structure of the Press to see what help, if any, might be given; and secondly, the longer-term need for an inquiry, perhaps a Royal Commission, to look into the whole of the future of the national Press?

§ Mr. Stewart
One can bear these points in mind, but I think my hon. Friend will agree that when he talks of financial support he raises a very big and debatable issue.

§ Mr. Crawley
Would the right hon. Gentleman agree that the gravest danger to the Press would be a form of subsidy which would give any Government power of control?

§ Mr. Stewart
Certainly, there are objections to that. Whether it is the gravest danger which could befall the Press is arguable.

§ Mr. Heath
The House is greatly concerned about the present position of some newspapers, but will the right hon. Gentleman recognise that it is the Government's policies in the past two years which have done a great deal to bring about some of the economic difficulties of the newspapers today? Will he give an undertaking that nothing which the Government propose 30 will lead to any financial assistance which could cause pressure on the Press or lead to any interference with a free Press? Will he give that firm assurance now?

§ Mr. Stewart
It is clear that one must not take any action which would interfere with the freedom of the Press. As to the earlier part of the question, I do not think that is so. I do not think any impartial examination of the facts would bear it out.

§ Mr. Mendelson
Does my right hon. Friend recall that when my hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade announced the Government's approval of the transfer of The Times on the last day before the Christmas Recess he was pressed by several hon. Members on both sides of the House for an early debate? After consultation with my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House, he then promised that the Government would give early consideration to that request. Could my right hon. Friend now confirm that an early debate will be arranged by the Government?

§ Mr. Stewart
That is really a question for my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House, but I think that he is considering the desirability of a debate here.

§ Mr. Marquand
Will my right hon. Friend agree that if the present situation continues, and we leave the newspaper industry to the tender mercies of what are sometimes called natural economic forces, the process of concentration is bound to continue and it would be not only legitimate but desirable for the Government to intervene actively in favour of those newspapers which seek primarily to be a public service rather than primarily to make a profit? Will he agree that this is a perfectly legitimate distinction which avoids the problem mentioned by some hon. Members opposite?

§ Mr. Stewart
That is certainly a point of view to which attention should be given, but I think that before any pronouncement of policy we should await the industry's reaction to the Survey.

§ Sir C. Osborne
The First Secretary will recall that in a speech the Prime Minister attacked the blackmail of the trade unions involved. The trade union leaders resented this and there has been correspondence between the Prime Minister and the trade union leaders. Would 31 the right hon. Gentleman consider publishing the correspondence on this very vexed question as a White Paper so that we may know the facts?

§ Mr. Stewart
The hon. Member might like to put down that question and see what answer he gets.