§ Lord BROCKWAYMy 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 what conclusions were reached at the recent meeting of UNESCO, particularly on the issues of State supervision of the Press and the right of Member States to belong to a regional group of their choice.
§ Baroness LLEWELYN-DAVIES of HASTOEMy Lords, these matters are still the subject of debate at the UNESCO General Conference in Nairobi and we shall not have the conclusions until the last days of the Conference, which ends on 30th November.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, is it not the case that two decisions were reached at the meeting: first, that there should be no State control of newspapers; and, secondly, that there should be a reversal of the decision that Israel should be excluded, by being allowed the choice whether or not to join the European Community? Were not Resolutions to that effect carried?
§ Baroness LLEWELYN-DAVIES of HASTOEMy Lords, the proposed draft Declaration on the mass media has been referred to a reviewing and drafting committee and we await the result of the review, which I think will be next week. On Israel, the chairman of the Conference is consulting the regional groups and he will be reporting back this week too, and the conclusions will be reached in the following week.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, were not the Resolutions carried in principle? 1458 May I ask the Minister whether it is not greatly significant that the Third World group not only was unaligned from the West but unaligned from the Communist countries on these issues?
§ Baroness LLEWELYN-DAVIES of HASTOEMy Lords, we very much welcome that.
Lord JANNERMy Lords may I ask the noble Baroness whether it is a fact that the British representatives have voted to see to it that Israel shall be allowed to do what she is asking, and that the other question raised by my noble friend is also practically certain to be carried? If so, would she convey to the British Government for the position they have taken the thanks of those who, like myself, follow these issues? Can the noble Baroness give any hope at all that the intolerable abuse of this Agency, which exists for the purpose of cultural advancement, shall not continue by certain States or groups of States attempting to introduce improper political issues which have nothing at all to do with the Agency itself?
§ Baroness LLEWELYN-DAVIES of HASTOEMy Lords, as I think I said last week, Her Majesty's Government very much deplore having Resolutions at UNESCO which should more properly be put to the Security Council. But it is absolutely true, as my noble friend says, that Her Majesty's Government have spoken and voted against all Resolutions directed at Israel in this context. I am afraid I must add that nothing is certain in this wicked world—nothing is certain even in your Lordships' House—and I cannot guarantee that it will be as we wish, but we hope that it will.
Lord PAGET of NORTHAMPTONMy Lords, in view of the Resolution referred to by the noble Lord, Lord Brockway, and purely as a matter of interest, could the noble Baroness tell us whether there is a single member of the third unallied group in which the Press is allowed to criticise its Government?
§ Baroness LLEWELYN-DAVIES of HASTOEMy Lords, I should think there probably are, but without notice I could not confirm it.