§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Minister of Overseas Development (1) what representations have been received from news agencies about the national communications policies of UNESCO; and whether she will make a statement;
(2) what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government in UNESCO on the question 242W of national news sovereignty and information control; and how the United Kingdom delegation has voted when the subject has been under discussion.
§ Mrs. Hart:In relation to the draft declaration on the mass media, the United Kindom voted at the 1947 general conference of UNESCO that it should be redrafted by an expert committee. At the 1976 general conference the majority of delegates including ourselves found the draft still unacceptable, and voted that the text should be further redrafted.
I have placed a copy of my speech to the UNESCO conference in the Library, and will keep the House informed.
I have received no representations from news agencies.
§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Minister of Overseas Development what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government in UNESCO on the concept of development journalism and the organisation's support of the Press Foundation of Asia and the non-aligned news agency pool.
§ Mrs. HartOur policy in UNESCO on communication matters is governed by our conviction that the principle of the freedom of the media must be maintained. So long as the concept of development journalism meets that principle and does not involve State control of the contents, we would be in favour of it. That is also our attitude to UNESCO's support for media organisations.