HC Deb 14 October 1968 vol 770 cc23-5
36. Sir B. Janner

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a statement on the present British Broadcasting Corporation Services in the respective foreign languages, and on the future of these respective services.

Mr. Mulley

The British Broadcasting Corporation's foreign language services are described in their Handbook for 1968, copies of which are in the Library of the House. Since it was published, and in the light of the Czechoslovak situation, broadcasts to Eastern Europe have been increased by 13¾ hours a week. Also, as my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary informed my hon. Friend the Member for York (Mr. Alexander W. Lyon) on 26th July, it has been agreed that the Hebrew Service should be discontinued. These broadcasts are subject to continuing review in the light of international developments.—[Vol. 769, c. 240–1.]

Sir B. Janner

Will that mean that, while some £9 million is being spent on general broadcasting and about £21,000 on Hebrew broadcasting, only the Hebrew broadcasting has been stopped? If so, why?

Mr. Mulley

With respect, since my hon. Friend has a second Question on the Paper on that point, perhaps we should defer consideration until it is reached.

Mr. Gwynfor Evans

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the first responsibility of the Government and the B.B.C. is the broadcasting of the national languages spoken in this island? Is he aware that the B.B.C. lamentably fails to provide sufficient hours of broadcasting in the Welsh language on radio and television?

Mr. Mulley

The hon. Member will appreciate that it is unlikely that the Foreign Office would wish to have a responsibility in this field.

Mr. Boston

While welcoming what my right hon. Friend has said about Eastern European services, may I ask him to bear in mind that, under successive Governments, closure and curtailment of these overseas programmes has been shown soon after the event to have been premature? Will he do his best to see that, rather than any curtailment in future, there is expansion, not only in Europe but in the Far East?

Mr. Mulley

My hon. Friend will know that a Foreign Office Minister would have great sympathy with those sentiments, but, clearly, in the whole range of Government expenditure, we must be extremely careful over programmes, and we cannot spend all the money that we would like.

Mr. George Jeger

is my right hon. Friend aware that we welcome the increase in broadcasting hours to Eastern Europe to counter the censorship in Czechoslovakia? Can he give us any information as to whether any jamming is in progress?

Mr. Mulley

We have to face jamming difficulties, but our information is that most of the programmes get through—although it means that we must, because of the possibility of interference, use short-wave transmissions.

38. Sir B. Janner

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the official reaction of the Libyan Government to Her Majesty's Government's proposal to close the British Broadcasting Corporation's service in Hebrew and the adverse effect this proposal will have on the relationship and the growing trade between Great Britain and Israel, and, in view of the small expenditure involved in the service, he will now reconsider the matter and give an assurance that this service will continue.

Mr. Mulley

The decision to discontinue the British Broadcasting Corporation's Hebrew Service has been taken because we consider that relations between Britain and Israel can be fostered more effectively if the money hitherto spent on the Hebrew language broadcasts is directed to other activities and in particular to the expansion of educational and cultural activities in Israel.

Sir B. Janner

May I now ask my right hon. Friend why he has stopped only the Hebrew services? Is he aware that there are some 500,000 to 600,000 Jewish refugees from Arab countries in Israel who do not understand English very well and do understand Hebrew? Why did he not use the Cyprus radio service, and what does he propose to do about reconsidering this matter? Is the Hebrew service the only one to have been closed?

Mr. Mulley

The Hebrew service is the only one which has been subject to recent change of policy. The reasons are that a recent survey and recent information suggests that many more people in Israel listen to our overseas broadcasts in English than to those in Hebrew, and that there are difficulties in reception of the Hebrew service. Therefore, purely on the basis of benefit for the expenditure of money, and not for political reasons, we decided to close the service and spend much more money on direct cultural activities.