B.B.C.'S ALBANIAN SERVICE (Hansard, 23 January 1967)

LORD ST. OSWALD
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (LORD CHALFONT)
My Lords, priorities in overseas information expenditure are always being reviewed with the aim of permitting us to continue and expand the most important services within the resources available at the time. After full consultation with the British Broadcasting Corporation, and consideration of all the facts involved, it was decided that there was insufficient ground for continuing the Albanian Service after the end of the present financial year. This question has been looked at again in the light of recent developments, but we see no reason to change our decision. It might be worth mentioning that the B.B.C.'s English language services will, of course, continue to be received and to be audible in Albania.

LORD ST. OSWALD
My Lords, I should like to thank the noble Lord for that Answer, but I hope that he, unlike his noble friend earlier, will not expect any more thanks than that. Does the noble Lord realise that his Answer will in fact appear to those involved in these matters as just about as illogical, misconceived and mystifying as the decision itself? Are the Government aware that at this time, with China's influence very powerful in Albania, the influence 324 of this highly-valued and highly-respected service is greater and more essential than perhaps at any previous time in its 26 years? And, when he speaks of priorities as discussed with the B.B.C., is it not the case that the B.B.C. would have preferred to make compensating savings in other parts of the foreign services? Is it not also the case that Sir Harold Beeley is at this moment being asked to report on the Government information services, with particular regard to their financing, and would it not be better, wiser, and in every way more satisfactory to wait until he has reported before taking this astonishing decision and before splitting up the team beyond any hope of re-assembling?

§ LORD CHALFONT
My Lords, may I congratulate the noble Lord on a powerful speech? If I may answer the particular points he has raised, first of all there is no real reason to believe that the Albanian Service of the B.B.C. has any significant political effect in Albania. The effect of the events in China, which the noble Lord is adducing, seems to me to be hardly relevant. It seems unlikely that in the context of what is going on in China the Albanian Service of the B.B.C. will have much influence on the policies, foreign or otherwise, of the Albanian Government.
So far as the review by Sir Harold Beeley is concerned, this is a review of all information services, including the external services of the B.B.C., and I think it unlikely that Sir Harold Beeley will have time to comment and recommend on individual external services. It is for the Government, through the Foreign Office, to prescribe those external services of the B.B.C. which should be carried out. It is not really relevant that the B.B.C. has offered to make economies in other fields. It is for the Government to decide which services should be carried out; to decide which have a poltical effect of importance, and which should be discontinued.

LORD ST. OSWALD
My Lords, is it the case that the B.B.C. did make that offer?

§ LORD CHALFONT
My Lords, I think it would have been entirely irrelevant had the B.B.C. offered to make economies in other fields.

§ LORD CARRINGTON
My Lords, am I right in thinking, from what the noble Lord, Lord Chalfont has said, that the decision has been taken, not on the ground of economy but because it is a service which serves little useful purpose?

§ LORD CHALFONT
My Lords, I think that both matters are relevant here. It is necessary to make economies in the external services of the B.B.C., and the Government have decided that this is one service which could be dispensed with.

§ LORD CARRINGTON
My Lords, if I may ask one more question, I understood the noble Lord to say that the Government had decided that the service served no useful purpose. Is this a decision for all time, that there is to be no Albanian service, even should happier times come upon us in the economic field?

§ LORD CHALFONT
My Lords, I must protest. I did not say that the Albanian service served no useful purpose. I said there was no evidence that it had any political effect in Albania. For that reason we have decided that, when economies have to be made, this is one of the areas where they could be made. I should not like to answer for what the Government might do in a hypothetical situation in the remote future.

§ LORD MERRIVALE
My Lords, has the noble Lord any idea what percentage of the population of Albania understand English, and also what percentage of the people listen to the English broadcasts?

§ LORD CHALFONT
My Lords, I think the percentage of the population in Albania which listens to and understands the English service is hardly the relevant point. The point I was making was that the English services will still be audible in Albania for those people who monitor the B.B.C. services and who have any influence on affairs in Albania.

§ VISCOUNT DILHORNE
My Lords, the noble Lord has said that the Albanian service had no political significance in Albania. Are we to take it that all the other services of the B.B.C. of a similar character are regarded as having some political significance?

§ LORD CHALFONT
My Lords, some of the B.B.C. services have an obviously great political significance in the countries 326 to which they are directed. I should have thought it fairly obvious that the political significance varies with the country concerned, the type of Government it has and the audibility of the B.B.C. service. I can only repeat that, taking all these facts into consideration, the Government decided that the political effect in Albania of this service was not significant enough to warrant its continuance.

§ LORD MOYNE
My Lords, would the noble Lord agree that it would be difficult for an Albanian to show the effect of the B.B.C. upon him?

§ LORD CHALFONT
Yes, my Lords.

§ LORD CONESFORD
My Lords, are not listeners in a number of countries constantly listening to broadcasts which are not intended for them?