§ LORD LAWSONMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware that the recent tour of Her Majesty to the North of England was widely advertised to be televised, and that on the evening of 3rd November the ceremonies and drives in Yorkshire and Northumberland were shown, but that the ceremonies in the County of Durham were completely left out; and whether they are aware that there is great indignation throughout Durham county on this matter and that it is generally taken as a slur on the county.]
THE EARL OF ONSLOWMy Lords, on behalf of my noble friend, who has been detained by other urgent business from arriving in time at your Lordships' House, I would say in answer to the noble Lord that it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government, as of its predecessors, to give the B.B.C. freedom in the conduct of its day-to-day affairs, including its programmes. My noble friend is assured that the Corporation's object was to give a representative account of Her Majesty's tour and they regret that any area should feel it was less favoured than others.
§ LORD LAWSONMy Lords, may I ask the noble Earl whether he is aware that just fifteen minutes were given to this broadcast, of which thirteen minutes were given to Yorkshire, two minutes to Northumberland and not a second to Durham. Will the noble Earl inform his friends that this is a climax to some very bad treatment of the two North-East counties generally. Hundreds of thousands of people stood for something like two hours in heavy rain. Tens of thousands were schoolchildren. They were soaking wet. They showed their loyalty to Her Majesty; but when people sat down to see the television record there 1235 was not the slightest reference to Durham. Is it not time something was done to prevent such treatment?
THE EARL OF ONSLOWMy Lords, I have full sympathy with the noble Lord in what he tells me of these people, particularly the children, who waited so many hours in the rain to show their loyalty to Her Majesty. I will certainly bring to the attention of my noble friend everything that the noble Lord, Lord Lawson, has said, and will ask him to take particular cognisance of it.
§ LORD LAWSONCould the noble Earl arrange a deputation to meet the person in authority? We do not know who is at present in authority there.
THE EARL OF ONSLOWThe noble Lord has addressed that question to me, but the situation is rather Gilbertian. Now that my noble friend has arrived, perhaps the noble Lord will kindly put his question again.
§ LORD LAWSONMy Lords, may I ask the Postmaster General to arrange for the person in authority to receive a representative deputation from the North-East on this and relevant matters? I can assure the noble Earl that we thought we were pretty much under the thumb of London, but it is much worse since Manchester has been in charge. I must tell the truth and shame "that gentleman." Will the noble Earl arrange for a deputation from the North-East to be received, for a discussion?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (EARL DE LA WARR)My Lords, may I offer a brief apology to your Lordships' House for arriving late. I am afraid I can only plead certain congestion of the streets. I am very sorry. On the question which the noble Lord has just addressed to me, naturally anything I say must be qualified by the well-known fact that Her Majesty's Government take no responsibility at all, and must take no responsibility, for the day-to-day conduct of the affairs of the B.B.C. But I am certainly prepared to put this point to the Chairman of the Governors and to inform him that this request has been made.
§ LORD LAWSONI thank the noble Earl.