§ Mr. Garry Allighanasked the Minister of Information why the Government refused information to the British Press and radio trade on the terms of the agreement signed by the delegates of the U.S.A. and British Commonwealth at the Bermuda Conference on Telecommunications on the grounds that it was a Cabinet secret; and why British Information Services, the agency of the British Government in Washington, was authorised to release a full detailed statement to the U.S. radio trade and Press on 7th December last.
§ Mr. BurkeI have been asked to reply. I am not aware of the circumstances referred to in the first part of the Question. A publicity officer was attached to the Bermuda Conference and information was Supplied to correspondents in Bermuda during the Conference. Full details of the Bermuda Telecommunications Agreements were made available to the Press at the final public plenary session of the Conference on 4th December. The statement issued by the British. Information Services in Washington on 7th December contained no information that was not already available.