broadcast a letter from Lord Caithness in the correspondence section of the Today programme on Saturday 2 November.
5. News Department protested that neither option would satisfactorily redress the balance with the original audience. They were unable however to persuade the Today programme to take Lord Caithness on 31 October.
Representations later in the day at a more senior level produced only a grudging agreement to consider an interview with Lord Caithness on 1 November if a Hong Kong story were running (which they doubted). They repeated their offer to read out a letter on 2 November.
6. We had similar difficulties with the BBC World Service who had arranged to interview Martin Lee about his visit but had not sought a counterbalancing Government contribution. We were aware by then that Lee would be critical. News Department therefore asked again for Lord Caithness to be given the right to reply. The World Service were reluctant and would initially only concede a live debate between Lee and Lord Caithness.
7.
After prolonged and difficult discussions with the World Service, News Department were able to negotiate a satisfactory formula under which both would speak twice with Lord Caithness speaking last. But this was only after News Department expressed considerable surprise that the World Service would even consider offering a platform to enable an overseas visitor to attack Britain without allowing us to redress the balance.
8. In the event Lord Caithness was able to do so very effectively to the World Service's overseas audience. It is unfortunate that he was unable to get the same message across to the domestic audience. The Today programme is well aware of our dissatisfaction with their handling of this particular item.
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