HL Deb 18 December 1962 vol 245 cc1017-8
LORD CONESFORD

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether UNESCO has recently published a booklet called Equality of Rights between Races and Nationalities in the U.S.S.R.; whether the authors (inter alia) thus describe the annexation of the Baltic States: "In 1940 the Soviet regime was restored in the Baltic republics which voluntarily joined the Union"; where responsibility for this publication lies; and what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to secure its immediate withdrawal and to prevent the funds of UNESCO from being used in future for a work of such a character.]

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE EARL OF DUNDEE)

My Lords, the booklet referred to by my noble friend was published by UNESCO earlier this year and it contains the reference to the Baltic States which he quotes. Responsibility for publication lies with UNESCO. The Director-General of UNESCO has been informed that in the view of Her Majesty's Government this particular booklet falls far short of the standard of objectivity and regard for the truth which ought to be observed in UNESCO's publications. So far as future action is concerned, the Executive Board of UNESCO is setting up a Publications Committee to prepare general directives concerning publications of UNESCO, and the United Kingdom member of the Board has supported this proposal.

LORD CONESFORD

My Lords, may I thank my noble friend for that Answer? Are not the statements in this book the direct opposite of the truth? Does my noble friend recall that the Governments of this country since the annexation have consistently refused de jure recognition of U.S.S.R. sovereignty over these territories because of the circumstances of their annexation? Why cannot the Communists pay for their own propaganda? Is it not outrageous that the funds of UNESCO, to which we contribute, should be devoted to the dissemination of falsehood?

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My Lords, I sympathise with my noble friend's feelings. There are 113 members of UNESCO which publishes, I think, several hundred publications every year, and no doubt they feel that the Russians should have a go every now and then. This is a Russian publication. With regard to the first part of the supplementary question, of course, the statements referred to by my noble friend in his Question and many others in this booklet are ludicrously false.

BARONESS WOOTTON OF ABINGER

My Lords, are we to understand from the noble Earl that he thinks it proper that the United Kingdom should attempt to impose a censorship upon the publications of an international organisation?

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My Lords, I did not think that we could impose a censorship. If we had been able to do so it might not have been necessary to ask this Question. We have represented to the Director-General of UNESCO that this booklet, as I said in my original Answer, falls far short of the truth.