HC Deb 19 November 1968 vol 773 cc1099-100
22. Mr. Molloy

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what steps are being taken or envisaged by his Department to inform the general public of the work, aims and objects of his Department.

Mr. Prentice

Direct publicity results from our recruiting campaigns and related literature; the issue of aid statistics, pamphlets and our bi-monthly newspaper.

A total of 11,600 column inches based on Ministry Press releases have been noted in the provincial and national press in the past 12 months. Assistance is given to private organisations, writers and to the many T.V. and radio programmes covering the problems of world poverty.

Mr. Molloy

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for that reply. Would he agree that, while the majority of ordinary people, with their natural understanding and compassion, appreciate the need for overseas aid, there does exist an amount of misunderstanding? Would he not agree that it might be worth while to contact the various elements of mass media, to increase further the effort he is making to reduce this amount of misunderstanding?

Mr. Prentice

I agree that there is a good deal of misunderstanding. I am not satisfied, and never will be satisfied, with what we can do in this direction, but my hon. Friend should recognise that whereas in the day-to-day affairs progress of this sort does not often make the headlines, the fact is, however, that there is an increasing awareness of world poverty problems. More and more articles appear in the Press about development programmes, and my Ministry's Information Department is constantly able to help those who are writing articles or preparing programmes of that kind.

Mr. Tilney

Is the Minister aware that the best way to make the business world aware of this work, and to get private enterprise capital moving, is to set up an insurance fund against nationalisation or the ability to remit profits? Will he discuss this with other capital aid-giving countries?

Mr. Prentice

The question of such an insurance policy is one for the President of the Board of Trade. Certainly the business community in this country is interested in development problems, and our programmes do have the support of the C.B.I. and other representative bodies.

Mr. Braine

This is the second time this afternoon when the point has arisen. Will the right hon. Gentleman, realising the good sense of the suggestion from my hon. Friend, undertake to raise this matter with his colleagues? The matter is pressing and the situation is utterly anomalous.

Mr. Prentice

Hon. Members must take responsibility for raising their own questions in the appropriate quarter. If they need help, I will draw the attention of my right hon. Friend to the fact that the matter has been raised this afternoon.

Back to