HC Deb 21 July 1943 vol 391 c905W
Mr. G. Strauss

asked the Minister of Information why Frank Pitcairn, who went recently to Algiers for a short visit as a civilian correspondent for the "Daily Worker," with the endorsement of his Department and the Foreign Office, was, on arrival, informed he would not be allowed to communicate with his paper and requested to leave after sending one short cable; and whether there is full cooperation in this respect between his Department and the authorities in Algiers?

Mr. Bracken

We have always received the most generous measure of co-operation from the authorities in Algiers but we have never attempted to interfere with the regulations which they have laid down with regard to the visits of civilians who are not accredited war correspondents. As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary explained last week, Allied Force Headquarters agreed as a special case to receive in Algiers a number of civilian Press correspondents for a period not longer than a month. Mr. Pitcairn's arrival in North Africa was, however, too late to enable him to claim any facilities under this special arrangement.