HC Deb 10 July 1996 vol 281 cc399-400
17. Mr. Hall

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met senior management of the BBC World Service to discuss future funding arrangements. [35177]

19. Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the change in real terms in the operating budget of the BBC World Service between 1996–97 and 1997–98. [35180]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor

My right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary last met senior management on 6 February this year.

The operating budget is reduced by 5.4 per cent. in real terms between 1996–97 and 1997–98. The World Service should make most of this up through already identified efficiency savings.

Mr. Hall

Is the Minister aware that, during the last general election, the Prime Minister promised to promote the English language by strengthening the BBC World Service? Given the fact that, in the next financial year, it will face a shortfall in its operational budget of £8 million because of Government cuts, will the Minister give a categoric assurance that the BBC will not have to cut one language service because of those cuts? As he contemplates that answer, what does he say to the BBC World Service, which has said straightforwardly that, unless cuts are reversed, it will have no option but to cut services?

Sir Nicholas Bonsor

I do not accept that no option is open to the World Service but to cut services. Of course, some language services are dropped as others are added. I said earlier that we have added both Uzbek and Macedonian. We have limited French to France, because there was a fall in demand for that service, but that does not affect the francophone broadcast to Africa.

In the past five years, our assistance to the World Service has been excellent. The 1997–98 shortfall should be met by efficiency savings. Those have been identified as amounting to about £13 million by the efficiency saving unit and the BBC. The World Service should also be able to make up any shortfall through the private finance initiative. Through that, we hope that it will be able to secure funding for the Omani relay station, for example, at a cost of £30 million, which would at least make up any deficit.

Mrs. Dunwoody

Is the Minister aware that that is the greatest load of rubbish that I have heard from the Foreign Office for many years? Not only is the service suffering a shortfall at the moment but appointments are being made, changes are being rushed through and the Government are doing little to try to protect the interests of the World Service. It is a unique, remarkable and excellent service which is revered throughout the world. It does the Government no credit not to be prepared to protect it.

Sir Nicholas Bonsor

The World Service is so highly regarded because it has been consistently expanded throughout the Government's tenure of office. As I said earlier, we have spent over 50 per cent. in real terms more on that service than Labour ever did when it was in power. We have supported it and shall continue to support it, and I have no doubt that it will continue to give an excellent service worldwide.

Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith

Is my hon. Friend aware that many of us who know about the BBC's substantial plans for expanding the World Service recognise that the effects of further funding by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, however generous, can have only a marginal effect on those plans?

Sir Nicholas Bonsor

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend, who is absolutely right. Of course we shall continue to give what support we can, but the BBC must look for efficiency and run the World Service in the best way possible.

Mr. Harry Greenway

I welcome the expansion that has been described by my hon. Friend. What are the Government's plans to make available further funds for the expansion of the World Service in the coming year?

Sir Nicholas Bonsor

As I said to the House, unfortunately we have had to make a small cut in World Service funding for next year, but that should be more than made up by the efficiency cuts that have been identified and by private finance initiative money, which we hope it will be able to find.