HC Deb 04 May 1948 vol 450 cc116-7W
85. Mr. Byers

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, in view of the European Recovery Programme, he will now consider increasing supplies of newsprint, which will permit an increase in the size of British newspapers.

Mr. Bottomley

No. It is not clear that we shall be able to increase our imports of newsprint as a result of the European Recovery Programme. The figures which have recently been quoted in the Press were purely tentative and illustrative and do not represent any agreed programme, and I am afraid we could not afford to import newsprint on the scale suggested.