HC Deb 22 July 1976 vol 915 cc1995-7
14. Mr. Canavan

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he next intends to meet the Chairman of the BBC.

Mr. Roy Jenkins

I have no immediate plans to meet the Chairman of the BBC.

Mr. Canavan

In view of the excellent suggestion by Professor Alan Thompson, the Chairman of BBC Scotland, that Scotland should have another national anthem, would it not be possible to have an anthem that is more Socialist oriented? Would it not be possible to sing that anthem at the end of every Session of Parliament, provided that we could keep the hon. Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine) away from the Mace?

Mr. Jenkins

Whether or not Scotland should have another national anthem, either more or less Socialist oriented, is not a subject for conversation between the Chairman of BBC in Scotland and me.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

Will the right hon. Gentleman take an early opportuniy to advise the Chairman of the BBC that Members of Parliament do not usually make formal complaints lightly about political bias in BBC programmes? Is he satisfied with the ability of the BBC to investigate complaints of that nature?

Mr. Jenkins

I am not sure that I would absolutely underwrite the premise of the hon. Gentleman's question. But I hope that the BBC takes with appropriate seriousness the questions that are put to it and that it has appropriate machinery for dealing with them.

Mr. Litterick

May I suggest to my right hon. Friend that he should see the Chairman of the BBC as soon as possible? Will he then raise the case of Mr. Denis McShane, who was dismissed by the BBC for having participated as a bogus contributor to a radio 'phone-in programme on the instructions of his producer? Will he further raise with the chairman the fact that the practice of putting on bogus contributors to these programmes is a fraud which is being perpetrated at public expense? Is he aware that we would like to know how widespread it is?

Mr. Jenkins

To be honest, I have no idea what my hon. Friend is talking about. If he will write to me about the matter, I shall gladly look into it. I am certainly not in favour of fraudulent 'phone-in programmes with fraudulent participants. The question of BBC staff policy must, however be a matter for the Chairman. If my hon. Friend will write to me, I shall inform myself of the matter and if I think it necessary I shall pass it on to the Chairman.

Mr. Thompson

Will the right hon. Gentleman impress upon the Chairman of the BBC the need to provide radio and television learners courses in the Gaelic language in Scotland comparable to the standard of Ochen' Priyatno or Svidanie v Moskvye or, if the Secretary of State prefers it, Dewch i Siarad or Cam Ymlaen?

Mr. Jenkins

That is a matter that can certainly be considered, but I should have hoped that the spontaneous force of these indigenous languages, deeply rooted in local culture, would not need to be instructed exclusively by a central organisation from London.