§ Q2. Mr. Brothertonasked the Prime Minister when he next expects to meet the Chairman of the Press Council.
§ The Prime MinisterI have no plans to meet the Chairman of the Press Council, Sir.
§ Mr. BrothertonWhen the Prime Minister meets the Chairman of the Press Council, will he discuss with him the continued refusal of his Press Office to communicate fully with The Times newspaper? Does he agree that it is a disgrace that these people, who are paid by the taxpayer, should be selective in how they discharge their duties?
§ The Prime MinisterI have already said that the question of legal proceedings arises here, which the hon. Gentleman, as a former employee of The Times, should know all about. I am happy to tell the hon. Gentleman what, with his contacts, he should have known—The Times gets exactly the same treatment from No. 10 as any other newspaper, even if it does not always deserve it.
§ Dr. Edmund MarshallIf my right hon. Friend meets the Chairman of the Press Council, who happens at the moment to be Lord Shawcross, will he remind that gentleman of his words in the House on 2nd April 1946?—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. If the hon. Gentleman is about to quote, I can save him from temptation.
§ Dr. MarshallI am grateful to you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Prime Minister remind Lord Shawcross of what he said in the House on 2nd April 1946 in winding up for the Government the Third Reading debate on the Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Bill—namely, that we are the masters now?
§ The Prime MinisterI am aware of my then right hon. and learned Friend's political view, but I think his views have changed a little.
§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonHe has seen the light.
§ The Prime MinisterNevertheless, I feel that one of the most distinguished legal pundits of our time, as he must be acknowledged to be by everyone, will be the first to realise how wrong it is to press questions of this kind when legal proceedings are pending. In any case, I do not want to bother my noble Friend—if he still is—Lord Shawcross, because I know that he will have seen the motion 617 about the treatment by a certain newspaper of an hon. Member who was interviewed on the telephone and then said to have written an article for that newspaper. As the motion asks for a reference to the Press Council, I am sure that action will be taken.