TASS AGENCY’S STATUS

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25970, 25 November 1949, Page 7

TASS AGENCY’S STATUS

IMMUNITY ENJOYED IN BRITAIN GOVERNMENT CALLS FOR REPORT (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) (Rec. 8.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 23. The British Government is setting up an inter-departmental committee to report urgently on whether special legislation is necessary’ to end the state of immunity which the Russian Tass Agency in London enjoys as a department of the Russian Government. This was announced in the House of Lords last night by the Lord Chancellor (Viscount Jowitt). He was replying to Lord Vansittart, who complained that the Russian Government had given Tass a certificate saying that it was a State department,

thereby enabling the agency to libel anyone in Britain in any terms it liked. The issue of a protective Certificate by the Russian Government was a piece of impudence, Lord Vansittart added.

Viscount Jowitt that it was not diplomatic but State privilege which Tass claimed. The Foreign Office had refused to give it a certificate of. diplomatic immunity. He agreed that there had been remarkable illustrations of the scurrilous nature of the material handled by Tass, and it should not be thought that the agency would be allowed to carry on these activities without check. Lord Jowitt added that after it had considered the committee’s report the Government might bring in new laws to alter the principle of State immunity.