§ 33. Mr. Stephenasked the Postmaster-General whether he will ask the British Broadcasting Corporation to make arrangements to have an Esperanto broadcast from time to time, in view of the large number of people interested in Esperanto?
§ The Postmaster-General (Major Tryon)I am informed by the British Broadcasting Corporation that they have given careful consideration to this suggestion, but have reached the conclusion that broadcasts in Esperanto would not appeal to a sufficiently large proportion of listeners to justify their inclusion in the programmes.
§ Mr. StephenIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that foreign stations have given such broadcasts? Is he also aware that over 50,000 of the Edinburgh edition of the Esperanto dictionary were bought, which shows that there is a large public in this country interested? Will he not ask the Broadcasting Corporation to reconsider this matter?
§ Sir Percy HarrisWill the right hon. Gentleman give consideration to the fact that there are a great number of people learning Esperanto at educational institutes subsidised by the Board of Education and provided by the local authorities?
§ Major TryonThe broadcast does not rest with me.
§ Mr. StephenI did not hear the right hon. Gentleman's answer to my supplementary question.
§ Major TryonThe hon. Member is under a misapprehension. The decision as to what is broadcast does not rest with me, but with the Governors.
§ Mr. StephenI am asking the right hon. Gentleman to bring this question to the notice of the Corporation and to press them. In view of the unsatisfactory reply, I give notice that I shall raise the matter on the Adjournment.