§ Mr. Robert Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report the advice he gave to the Newspaper Proprietors' Association in relation to the purposes which appear to underlie advertisements of the kind for which Southern Placement Services. Johannesburg, are responsible; and what reply or comments he received from the 561W Newspaper Proprietor's Association following his answer of 28th January 1976 to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North.
§ Mr. RowlandsThe advice given by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office follows:
Foreign and Commonwealth Office, S.W.1.
12 February 1976
The Secretary,
The Newspaper Publishers
Association Ltd.,
6 Bouverie Street, London, E.C.4.
Dear Sir,
You may be aware of advertisements placed in some British newspapers in September 1975 by an organisation called Southern Placement Services of PO Box 44262, Linden, Johannesburg. As you will see from the enclosed copy of one of these advertisements, which appeared in the "News of the World" on 7 September, a service career in Southern Africa was offered to former members of the United Kingdom armed forces, police or prison services.
It appears that the purpose of these advertisements was to seek candidates for recruitment by the illegal regime in Rhodesia. Persons responding to them have been provided with details of pay and conditions and enlistment forms for the Rhodesian armed forces, and it is apparent that in seeking to disguise their true purpose Southern Placement Services may have had regard to Article 14 of the Southern Rhodesia (United Nations Sanctions) (No. 2) Order 1968 which, inter alia, prohibits, without a licence, the publication of advertisements which solicit or encourage people to take up employment or residence in Southern Rhodesia.
It is possible that Southern Placement Services or another organisation may in the future again seek to circumvent sanctions by carefully worded advertisements designed to deceive British publishers. However, the chances of their doing so successfully can be minimised if British publishers are informed of their methods and are alert to the importance of scrutinising closely, and if need be making enquiries regarding, proposed advertisements related to employment in Southern Africa which are couched in similarly general terms.
I should be grateful if you would bring this letter to the attention of the members of your association.
P. J. Barlow,
Rhodesia Department.
This letter was acknowledged by the Newspaper Publishers' Association on 15th March. The association has assured us that it has brought the substance of the Department's letter of 12th February to the attention of its members.
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