§ 6. Mr. Mayhewasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what has been the cost to public funds in recent years of subsidising the British Broadcasting Corporation's overseas television transcription service.
Dr. HillThis service is not subsidised, but funds have been made available for the overseas departments to acquire television material, including B.B.C. material, for distribution overseas.
§ Mr. MayhewHow much is being spent in this way?
Dr. HillThe amount of money available for the current year was about £17,000, but the position is that in fact that money has been adequate for the material available for the purpose.
§ Mr. MayhewMay I ask the Minister further about this? Why is there this extraordinary contrast between the £¼ million which is very effectively spent in subsidising sound transcription services of the B.B.C. and the very small—indeed, it appears negligible—sum to help the equally important television transcription service?
Dr. HillIt is for this reason. The B.B.C. disposes by agreement of 500 programmes a year to overseas broadcasting bodies, the principle of the arrangement being that it disposes of that material on an economic basis. Where that is not possible, the plan is that the departments obtain the material which they consider appropriate from the B.B.C. or other broadcasting bodies and distribute it to the network of information officers in fifty-three countries.