HC Deb 28 April 1948 vol 450 cc49-50W
72. Sir W. Smithers

asked the Postmaster-General what conditions he has prescribed for the employment by the B.B.C. of persons who are not British subjects.

Mr. Wilfred Paling

The following are the conditions prescribed for the employment by the B.B.C., in the conduct of the services, of persons who are not British subjects:

  1. 1. No alien shall be employed unless the Corporation is fully satisfied, after consulting the appropriate Department of the Ministry of Labour and National Service, that a British subject with qualifications required for the post is unobtainable.
  2. 2. Subject to condition 1, aliens may be given temporary employment in the foreign services without individual authority from the Postmaster-General, provided the appointment concerned complies with the terms of the relaxation of the Nationality Rule applied to Civil Servants.
  3. 3. Aliens may be given temporary employment in Departments other than those dealing with foreign services only with the specific written authority of the Postmaster-General.
  4. 50
  5. 4. Permanent employment of aliens in any Department may be given only with the specific written authority of the Postmaster-General. Such an appointment should be regarded as requiring special justification and should, if possible, be confined to the foreign services. The fact that a suitable qualified British candidate for a permanent post is not at the moment available should not in itself be considered sufficient reason for the permanent filling of it by an alien, though it could be temporarily filled in accordance with 2 or 3 above.