§ 62. Colonel Beamishasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in what ways, and to what extent, dispatches of resident British newspapermen in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics are censored; what protest has been made about this censorship; and what reply has been received.
§ Mr. R. AllanAll dispatches sent by British journalists resident in the Soviet Union are subject to Soviet censorship, which is exercised in a number of ways. This subject has been raised with the Soviet Government on several occasions, most recently in April, 1958. Then Her Majesty's Government proposed discussions with the Soviet Government on a number of issues relating to freedom of information and contacts, including freedom for journalists to send uncensored 123W reports out of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Government refused to take part in such talks.
§ 63. Colonel Beamishasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs from what date he has been making efforts to arrange for at least one regular Russian language uncensored publication to be distributed without hindrance in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; what are the main causes for the delay; and when, and in what form, he hopes to be able to start publication.
§ Mr. R. AllanAs my hon. and gallant Friend knows, publication ofBritish Ally was suspended in 1950 because there were difficulties in distributing it.
The question of re-starting it or a similar Russian language newspaper was raised at the Geneva Conference in 1955. It has not he possible so far to get agreement with the Soviet Union on arrangements which would be satisfactory.