HL Deb 05 February 1970 vol 307 cc746-7
LORD NAPIER AND ETTRICK

My 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 the radio transmitter which was set up in Francistown for the purpose of beaming propaganda to Rhodesia in 1965 was given to the Botswana Government as a gift, or whether it was dismantled; what was the total cost to the British taxpayer of installing, running and protecting the station, and whether the ancillary equipment has subsequently been put to use elsewhere; and if so where, or if sold, for what price.]

THE MINISTER OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (LORD CHALFONT)

My Lords, the radio station which was installed at Francistown in 1965 for the purpose of relaying B.B.C. programmes to Rhodesia consisted of one short-wave and two medium-wave transmitters. When it was closed in May, 1968, the short-wave transmitter and the ancillary equipment were presented as a gift to the Government of Botswana, as was foreshadowed in a Treasury Minute laid in another place on May 10, 1968. The medium-wave transmitters and their supporting equipment were brought back to Europe for use in relaying the B.B.C.'s broadcasts in the Mediterranean area. The total cost of installation, operation and protection of this station was £739,000.

LORD NAPIER AND ETTRICK

My Lords, I am much obliged to the noble Lord for that very full reply to my Question. I should like to ask him two supplementary questions. Can the noble Lord tell the House whether or not any British personnel are still being used in operating the transmitter which was made a gift to Botswana? Secondly, do Her Majesty's Government, with hindsight, consider that this experiment was worth while?

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, so far as the first part of the noble Lord's supplementary question is concerned, I cannot say whether there are any British people employed by the Government of Botswana at the moment. I can find that out and will certainly let the noble Lord know. So far as the second question is concerned, the answer is: Yes, we do think, with the benefit of hindsight, that this was a useful operation. In the period immediately following the illegal declaration of independence it enable the inhabitants of Rhodesia to listen to news and views from the outside world which would have been suppressed by Rhodesian censorship. The efforts which the Rhodesian régime itself made to jam the transmissions is an indication of the fact that they were fairly effective.