– in the House of Commons am ar 9 Mawrth 1939.
Sir Geoffrey Mander
, Wolverhampton East
asked the Home Secretary whether he will consider the advisability of setting up a committee to conduct an inquiry with a view to securing that equal opportunity shall be given to the freedom of expression of political opinion in posters to the Opposition as well as to supporters of the Government?
Mr Samuel Hoare
, Chelsea
The law of this country gives equal freedom to the expression of all forms of political opinion, whether by posters or otherwise; and I am not aware of anything into which a committee could inquire.
Sir Geoffrey Mander
, Wolverhampton East
Has the attention of the Home Secretary been called to the action of the censorship committee of the British Poster Advertising Association, controlling 90 per cent. of the hoardings, in refusing, in effect on political grounds, to permit posters of the Spain emergency committee of the International Peace Campaign to be shown? I have a copy of the poster here.
Mr Samuel Hoare
, Chelsea
I am not aware officially of those facts, and in any case I have no responsibility.
The Opposition are the political parties in the House of Commons other than the largest or Government party. They are called the Opposition because they sit on the benches opposite the Government in the House of Commons Chamber. The largest of the Opposition parties is known as Her Majesty's Opposition. The role of the Official Opposition is to question and scrutinise the work of Government. The Opposition often votes against the Government. In a sense the Official Opposition is the "Government in waiting".
