§ 3.17 p.m.
THE EARL OF SELKIRKMy Lords, I beg leave 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 have any proposals for continuing the publication, Commonwealth Today.]
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, Her Majesty's Government have decided to discontinue publication of the magazine Commonwealth Today. In reaching this decision they have been guided by two considerations. First, the Plowden Report on Overseas Representational Services recommended a withdrawal from information work of a generalised character, and a picture magazine about the Commonwealth clearly falls within this category. Secondly, while concerned to promote the idea of the Commonwealth, Her Majesty's Government have been increasingly aware that it was becoming inappropriate that the British Government should continue to assume a responsibility for such promotion in other countries of the Commonwealth. They are therefore discussing with the Commonwealth Secretary-General the desirability of the kind of information work about the Commonwealth as represented by Commonwealth Today being continued as a collective Commonwealth responsibility.
THE EARL OF SELKIRKMy Lords, may I thank the noble Lord and ask him whether Her Majesty's Government are prepared to make funds available 677 to the Secretary-General in order to provide him with some form of publicity department?
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, that is a matter which we shall consider once the Secretary-General has carried out consultations and an approach to the Commonwealth countries—a joint effort. If there is general support, then naturally we would consider this matter with the greatest of sympathy.