HL Deb 19 December 1974 vol 355 cc1268-70

11.15 a.m.

Lord SHINWELL

My 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 will consult the Leaders of the Opposition Parties with a view to deferring Party political broadcasting on TV and radio, except in special circumstances or a General Election.

Lord STRABOLGI

My Lords, Party political broadcasts are a long-standing and important means by which political Parties may present their policies to the public free from the editorial control of the broadcasting authority.

Lord SHINWELL

My Lords, is my noble friend aware that Party political broadcasts are not only long-standing but long-boring, and that they are more excessively boring nowadays than they were during the Election campaign? Is the noble Lord also aware that although neither the Government nor the political Parties can dictate to the BBC or to the commercial television authority they have it under their own control, and is not it time to put a stop to this farce? Since the BBC are complaining about the need for cutting down programmes because of the economic situation, surely they can cut out this nonsense! May I inform the noble Lord that last night I heard the Liberals, to whom I have no objection because they are very decent people, and that the programme had nothing to do with the issues of the day—only with propaganda asking people to join the Liberal Party? Imagine that!

Lord STRABOLGI

My Lords, Party political broadcasts are paid for by the Parties and not by the broadcasting authorities. In order to put this matter into perspective, I think we must remember that we have had two General Elections in one year and that we have not had two General Elections so near to each other for about 50 years. To put the matter further into perspective, may I remind my noble friend that the quota for this year was six Labour broadcasts, six Conservative broadcasts and three Liberal broadcasts. With regard to my noble friend's suggestion about making these broadcasts more lively, perhaps my noble friend would like to represent my Party in a debate with the Young Conservatives!

Lord SHINWELL

My Lords, are we to understand from my noble friend's reply that the Government are not prepared to consult the Leaders of the other Parties in order to put a stop to this farce, or to modify it? If that is the situation, may I ask him whether he is aware that I shall persist in my opposition to this farce, this nonsense and this terribly boring procedure that we have to put up with?

Lord STRABOLGI

My Lords, while not necessarily agreeing with what my noble friend has said about the quality of these broadcasts, may I remind him that the number of broadcasts and the timing of them is decided upon by the Party political representatives of the leading political Parties in association with the broadcasting authorities.

Lord BYERS

My Lords, can the noble Lord understand why, if this particular broadcast was so boring, the noble Lord, Lord Shinwell, did not switch it off earlier?

Lord PANNELL

My Lords, surely the noble Lord, Lord Shinwell, could not have heard his right honourable friend Michael Foot a few nights before. He would strongly have approved of that broadcast and would not have thought it was nonsense.

Lord VERNON

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the people of this country are becoming totally confused by hearing one thing from one Party one night and the exact opposite from the other Party the next night? Would not it be better to drop Party political broadcasts at the present time and instead all work together in the national interest?

Lord STRABOLGI

My Lords, I think that the noble Lord is underestimating the intelligence of the public. Of course we receive contrary views on broadcasts, but that is what democracy is all about.

Baroness SUMMERSKILL

My Lords, is my noble friend able to say why 99.9 per cent. of these broadcasts are made by men?

Lord STRABOLGI

My Lords, I am sure that we shall have to do our best to rectify the position! I should certainly like to see more ladies taking part in broadcasts.

Lord SHINWELL

My Lords, I am not troubled about the bickering that goes on in these broadcasts. There is plenty of bickering without that. Why should we trouble the BBC and Commercial television with this kind of thing? My observation about the Liberals does not mean that I have any animus against the Liberals, but last night's broadcast was the absolute limit.