§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make a statement about efforts being made by official British representatives in the United States to present the facts about the hunger strikes in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. BlakerThis is a high priority for British officials in the United States. Their objective is to make the facts about Northern Ireland known as widely as possible and to rebut vigorously the misleading reports about the hunger strikes that have appeared in the United States media. Ministerial statements and a wide range of material prepared in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Office are disseminated to the United States media and political figures.
In addition to briefings, our posts also encourage foreign journalists to visit Northern Ireland so that they can see the situation at first hand. More recently our representatives have arranged a programme of meetings and interviews in the United States for what we hope will be the first in a series of visits by Members of Parliament to help explain the facts about Northern Ireland.