§ THE EARL OF BUCKINGHAMSHIREMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether an increase of broadcasting to the Soviet Union in the languages of the constituent republics, and in particular in the Byelorussian language, could be put into operation by the B.B.C.]
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (LORD CHALFONT)My Lords, the case for the B.B.C. broadcasting to the Soviet Union in languages other than 687 Russian and English has been considered from time to time. The conclusion has always been that the cost could not be justified in terms of our priorities.
§ THE EARL or BUCKINGHAMSHIREMy Lords, while thanking my noble friend for his Answer I should like to ask two supplementary Questions. Is he aware that there are 45 million Ukranians and 50 million Byelorussians, and that the present policy of the B.B.C. is based on the assumption that all nationalities within the Soviet Union are conversant with Russian and there is consequently no need for broadcasts in any other languages, such as Byelorussian? Secondly, is my noble friend aware that both "Radio Liberty" and the Vatican already broadcast in Byelorussian and that similar broadcasts by the B.B.C. will give great encouragement to the people of Byelorussia, who are looking to the West for understanding and support in their fight for free expression and in defence of their native language?
§ LORD CHALFONTMy Lords, I think the population of the Ukraine comes outside the terms of reference of my noble friend's original Question. I am not quite sure where he got his figure for the Byelorussian population from. There are in fact only 8 million Byelorussians, out of a total Soviet population of well over 200 million—230 million-odd. As it is estimated that the cost of even only a half-hour daily broadcast in this language would be about £25,000 a year, we think that it does not accord with the present priorities, either for broadcasting or for the allocation of national funds at a time of financial stringency.
§ THE EARL OF BUCKINGHAMSHIREI thank my noble friend.