§ 31. Mr. Bostonasked the Postmaster-General what further steps he proposes to take to enable the British Broadcasting Corporation to overcome its financial difficulties.
§ Mr. BennI would refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made to the House on 14th April in which I announced that, as part of its wider reviews of broadcasting policy, the Government would be giving further study to the problems of broadcasting finance. This study is proceeding but I am not yet ready to make a statement.
§ Mr. BostonDoes not my right hon. Friend agree that the reluctance of the last Government to face up to their responsibilities in failing to increase the licence fee at a time when the B.B.C. was expanding its services has led very substantially to these difficulties? Can he say whether in his review he is considering advertising as a source of revenue?
§ Mr. BennI have already dealt with a similar Question about this, and I would refer my hon. Friend to the speech which I made on the 13th May. It is true that the B.B.C. was losing money at the rate 605 of about £40,000 a day when this Government took over, just as the postal services were losing money at the rate of over £50,000 a day when we took over. This certainly has accentuated the difficulties.
§ Mr. Hugh JenkinsIs my right hon. Friend aware that many of us on this side of the House do not share the view of my hon. Friend the Member for Faversham (Mr. Boston)? Many of us take the view that the B.B.C. is quite right to reject advertising, and I hope that my right hon. Friend will continue to support the Corporation in that.
§ Mr. BostonWill my right hon. Friend bear in mind that I was not advocating the use of advertising? I was asking him a question.