§ 2.43 p.m.
§ LORD CALVERLEYMy Lords, in asking the question standing in my name on the Order Paper, I have to confess to an error. I desire to ask His Majesty's Government to provide newsprint for at least two additional pages each day.
§ [The question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government, whether, in view of the importance of the greater provision of news space in British newspapers, they will grant facilities and provide newsprint for at least one additional page each day to all our regular morning papers.]
§ LORD CHORLEYMy Lords, His Majesty's Government regard it as their objective to increase the size of newspapers as early as possible, and certainly in 1949, if that can be achieved without sacrificing food and raw materials essential to our industrial production, and without involving a further drain on our reserves of gold and dollars. The quantity of Canadian newsprint which can be imported in 1949 cannot yet be determined. The Government hope, however, that an increase in home production and greater imports from Scandinavia will help us in obtaining a five-page daily newspaper, although no increase in consumption can take place at present.
§ LORD CALVERLEYMy Lords, arising out of that answer, I would like to ask the noble Lord whether he can tell us what is done with all the paper that is salvaged. Some information about that would give great satisfaction to those patriotic people who daily salvage newsprint in order, as they hope, before 1949 to be able to read a newspaper of a reasonable size.
§ LORD CHORLEYMy Lords, the noble Lord may be satisfied that the paper which is, in fact, salvaged is used for building up the home-produced supplies. I may 1282 inform the noble Lord that home production for newspapers is at present running at the rate of approximately 245,000 tons a year, and it is hoped to step up the home production in 1949 to 280,000 tons.
§ LORD CALVERLEYI thank the noble Lord.