Skip to main content

Newspaper Statements

Volume 103: debated on Wednesday 6 March 1918

The text on this page has been created from Hansard archive content, it may contain typographical errors.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he realises that he was not asked to stop newspapers printing speculative comments, but statements which purport to be authoritative statements of fact but which are both unauthorised and also incorrect; and whether, in view of the inconvenience caused to the traders and the public with reference to the sale without coupons of offal, bacon, and sausages, which was announced by certain newspapers, he will reconsider the matter, and forbid any statement purporting to be one of fact unless officially sanctioned by the Ministry?

While I deprecate the inaccurate statement to which the hon. Member refers and realise the inconvenience to which it gave rise, it is not my experience that such mis-statements, purporting to be authoritative, are fre- quently made. I adhere to my opinion that there is no sufficient ground for imposing any statutory prohibition on newspapers which have rendered, and are still rendering, much assistance to the Ministry. I prefer to rely on their good feeling and good sense.