§ 3 p.m.
§ Lord GRIDLEYMy 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 extracts from newspapers reporting public opinion in Britain are no longer to be published under the aegis of the British Information Services in the United States.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (Lord Goronwy-Roberts)My Lords, at the end of last year the Foreign and Commonwealth inspectors proposed that the distribution in the United States of the BBC summary of the British Press should be reduced from a daily to a weekly or bi-weekly service. It is still being issued daily while that recommendation is being considered.
§ Lord GRIDLEYMy Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that Answer, may I ask him whether, whatever arrangements may be contemplated in the United States now or in the future, he does not think that British influence can only be enhanced and preserved by the right to publish in the United States, possibly through the British Information Services, informed criticism, comment and even dissention concerning this British Government or any British Government, and that that right should be preserved?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, I can at once assure the noble Lord and the House that that is exactly the policy of this Government.
§ Lord HAILSHAM of SAINT MARYLEBONEMy Lords, may we be assured 318 that whatever economies may be found necessary—and personally I hope the I daily service may be maintained—the British Information Services will never be allowed to be a vehicle for providing information solely from the point of view of the Government of the day, whichever side it be?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, I can give an equally firm and full assurance on the second point made by the noble and learned Lord. That is exactly our policy; that the British scene is presented in North America and throughout the world for what it is; that all views and all aspects of that scene and performance are presented fairly in a balanced way—I would add in peace as in war. The reputation of the BBC and our overseas services generally is deservedly high precisely because they have been doing that, and they will be enjoined, if it is necessary, to consider doing that. I take full note of what the noble and learned Lord said about his view, which is no doubt shared by a great many, that this particular service might be considered for continuation on a daily basis. That is under consideration now, but I take note of what he said.
Lord PAGET of NORTHAMPTONMy Lords, in the course of those considerations, will the noble Lord consider that there is a distinction between British public opinion and the opinions of a very limited number of Press proprietors? Is the dissemination of the opinions of that very small body of proprietors really an object for public expenditure? That they do enough for themselves anyway.
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSIt is a fact that we have a free and very vigorous Press, my Lords. Sometimes—it depends on one's point of view—they tend to lean on one side of the argument, but they are free in this country to lean on either side of the argument. In any case, the world should know what a free Press is saying in this country, and it is not only what is published in our Press and periodicals, about which my noble friend might have another view; it is the general picture of how the British think and act that we try to present in a balanced way to the world, including North America.
§ Lord GLADWYNMy Lords, is it a fact, as reported in the Press, that there may he a certain difference of opinion between Her Majesty's Ambassador in Washington and the Government as to the way in which the British Information Services in New York should conduct their operations?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, the noble Lord, with his experience, will agree that that is not unusual. Indeed, we review from time to time, in our day as in his, the efficiency and economy of posts abroad, not only in North America but in every part of the world. The House a few months ago debated at some length, very usefully I thought, the report of the CPRS which made certain suggestions about the best way in which we should project ourselves through our overseas services. This consideration is part of that.
§ Lord HARMAR-NICHOLLSMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord to say whether or not the British information services in America are under the surveillance of the Ambassador? Are they completely separate and independent, or do they in any way come under the Ambassador's surveillance?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, they come under the surveillance of the Ambassador in Washington. It is of course a somewhat separate body because of the concentration of communications in New York rather than in Washington. But the noble Lord is quite right; it has always been part of the operation of our Mission in the United States.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, in view of the biased character of our present media, with its restricted ownership, may I ask the noble Lord whether the Information Service will also include the expressions of opinion by representative organisations in this country?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSI am sure it does, my Lords. As I said, we not only project views and news axpressed through the daily Press, but the weekly Press, which might not perhaps come strictly within the strictures that my noble friend advanced. Additionally, of course, we have other ways of projecting to 320 North America and other parts of the world what is discussed, what is thought, variously in this country, and we must beware of confining ourselves to the media only as projected by the daily Press; that is part of it, but by no means the majority part of it.
§ Lord CACCIAMy Lords, as what happens in Parliament is among the matters which the British Information Services project in the United States, may I ask whether the noble Lord realises how greatly welcome what he has said this afternoon will be, particularly in North America?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, I am most grateful for that observation coaling, as it does, from the noble Lord, Lord Caccia, who has great experience of the operation of these services. As for his reference to the broadcasting of Parliament, it is a thought that we might sell cassettes of the proceedings, perhaps in the other place, with profit and entertainment, across the Atlantic.
§ Lord POLWARTHMy Lords, will the Government bear in mind that there is a particular problem in the United States, in that the Press is very localised and extremely parochial in its coverage of world affairs, so that we should not do anything to reduce reliable sources of information to it about what is going on in this country?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSThat is most apposite, my Lords. We have all had experience of turning to the daily paper in, say, San Francisco and thinking it is like reading the local paper at home, until we turn to the pages which clearly have benefited as to world news from this kind of service.