§ Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the United Kingdom newspapers and magazines now on open and public sale in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; what change in the situation there has been since 1st January 1978, or the nearest suitable date; in what cities in the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics these United Kingdom publications are sold; and what are the numbers, approximately, of each title sold.
§ Mr. LuardAccording to our informationThe Times, Financial Times, Morning Star and The Economist are distributed in the Soviet Union. Approximately 180 copies of The Times are distributed, of which 37 are sent for open sale. The comparable figures in 1976 were 190 and 40. Sales, including by subscription, of the Financial Times total 150 copies, the same as in 1976. Since early 1978 about 50 copies of The Economist have been sent for public sale, but I do not have evidence showing where it may be bought by the Soviet public. I have no systematic information on where copies are sold but copies of The Times and Financial Times are known to have been available for purchase recently in hotels or airports in Moscow, Leningrad and Kiev and the Financial Times has been seen at Tashkent. The Morning Star is widely available in hotels and kiosks.