Page 347
Page 347
Page 347
197
Page 3489f 366 suggested that the Governhage 34Q₤366 finance the Council on the ground that if it were financed by the Press it would not be sufficiently independent: the same question would arise if the Press were unwilling to assume the responsibility. I am sure, however, that we should be extremely chary of suggesting Government financing• It would be bound to be represented as evidence of a desire for Governmental inter- ference, and it would presumably open the door to Parliamentary Questions and other Parliamentary discussion.
6.
On the questions requiring legislation, I do not think that we need or can go further than that, while we are not prepared to commit ourselves finally, we would be sympathetically disposed to legislation to give effect to the Commission's recommendations at a convenient opportunity.
7.
We should endorse the recommendation that the agreement to refrain from non-journalistic forms of competition should be prolonged indefinitely. We should also endorse the hope of the Royal Commission that the large chains will grow no larger. (Paragraph 350).
8.
There are two other matters mentioned by the Commission on which statements may be expected from the Government spokesman.
9.
It reached
(i) The Commission devoted a section to Government information services (paragraphs 536 to 543) • the conclusion that the evidence does not suggest that up to now any harmful influence is being exerted on the Press through the medium of the Government information services; but if newspapers get out of the habit of finding their own news and into the habit of taking all or most of it unquestioningly from a Government department they are obviously in some danger of falling into totalitarian paths. Future developments therefore need to be carefully watched."?
The reference to totalitarianism may be somewhat exaggerated, but I think that we can accept and endorse the Commission's observations. It suggests elsewhere (paragraph 654) that the proper relationship between the Press and Government information officers is one of the matters which the proposed General Council might properly take up on behalf of the Press; I see no objection to this and there may be much to be said for it.
(ii) The Royal Commission naturally emphasises the
desirability of further increases in the supply of newsprint as soon as the economic position allows, and, in particular, expresses the hope that consideration will be given as supplies increase to the possibility of lifting the present restrictions on the use of newsprint for new papers (paragraph 603). We can no doubt say that we are anxious to do everything practicable in both respects when the circumstances pormit.
I ask the Cabinet to agree that the Government spokesman in the forthcoming debate should be authorised to state the point of view of the Government on the linos suggested above.