30. Mr. Watkinsasked the Postmaster-General, in view of the failure to have a meeting with the East German representatives, what further steps he is asking the British Broadcasting Corporation to take to avoid the interference on the Welsh Regional station.
Dr. HillThe B.B.C. has provided two V.H.F. stations in Wales and is now building another. Of the two planned for a later stage, one will replace the temporary station at Penmon. These transmissions offer to large numbers of listeners in Wales a positive means of avoiding the foreign interference with the Welsh Home Service.
Apart from these V.H.F. plans the problem is being further considered, and I will write to the hon. Member.
§ 31. Mr. Probertasked the Postmaster-General what facilities will be made available to hon. Members who desire to give 2097 evidence to the British Broadcasting Corporation Welsh Service Committee of Inquiry to obtain copies of scripts in which they allege bias has occurred.
Dr. HillThe National Broadcasting Council for Wales informs me that the scripts or notes of news bulletins, talks and discussions in the B.B.C. Welsh Service are available at B.B.C. Headquarters at Cardiff for hon. Members to consult or study. The volume of material is very large and spare copies of most scripts do not exist.
§ Mr. G. ThomasDoes that mean that hon. Members will have to go to the regional headquarters of the B.B.C. to study these documents, or will they be available for hon. Members in the Library of the House?
Dr. HillMy information is that these documents are available in Cardiff. I have conveyed to the Welsh Broadcasting Council the suggestion that they ought to be more conveniently and widely available, including in London. This is not a matter upon which I can or would wish to direct the B.B.C., but I will, of course, bring to the notice of the Corporation any suggestions which hon. Members may make.
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware that this will cause very great difficulty? Will he use his influence with the B.B.C. to make available for Members copies of isolated scripts relating to particular dates on which bias is alleged to have been shown? In addition, will he arrange that copies of scripts shall be available in the Library or in some convenient part of the House, so that they may be consulted by hon. Members?
Dr. HillI am glad to have the right hon. Gentleman's support. I shall, of course, seek to persuade the Corporation and the Welsh National Broadcasting Council to make this material available in the form most convenient to hon. Members.
Mr. WatkinsWill the Postmaster-General make available in the Library or in London scripts of broadcasts made in the Welsh language.
§ 32. Mr. Probertasked the Postmaster-General whether the inquiry relating to bias on the British Broadcasting Corporation's Welsh service will be conducted in public or in private.