§ Mr. Bostonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will set out in the OFFICIAL REPORT the average amount of weekly broadcasting time in each of the last 10 years to the nearest convenient date in each of the languages in which the British Broadcasting Corporation's External Services broadcast, specifying the countries concerned.
§ Mr. George ThomsonThe average amount of weekly broadcasting time by the British Broadcasting Corporation's External Services in each of the last 10 years, as at 31st March each year, is shown in the table which I am arranging to circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT. The languages in which the broadcasts are transmitted are listed; I have not specified the countries concerned since certain language broadcasts are heard in more than one country.
§ Mr. Bostonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will state the total cost of the British Broadcasting Corporation's External Services in each of the last 10 years.
§ Mr. George ThomsonThe total cost of the British Broadcasting Corporation's External Services in each of the last 10 years was as follows:
£ 1955–56 4,830,000 1956–57 5,234,000 1957–58 5,487,000 1958–59 5,639,000 1959–60 6,111,000 1960–61 6,019,000 1961–62 6,742,000 1962–63 6,879,000 1963–64 7,383,000 1964–65 8,753,000
§ Mr. Bostonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs which of the British Broadcasting Corporation's External Services have been cut; which have been expanded; which have been abolished; which have been started over 182W the past 10 years to the latest convenient date; and if he will give the countries concerned as well as the languages.
§ Mr. George ThomsonCuts and increases in the British Broadcasting Corporation's External Services over the past 10 years, as at the 31st March of each year, are shown in the table annexed to the answer to your Question No. 1. In the details given below I have not specified the countries concerned as certain language broadcasts are heard in more than one country.
In the past 10 years the following services have been abolished:
- (a) Danish, Dutch, Swedish, and Norwegian in August, 1957;
- (b) Afrikaans in September, 1957;
- (c) Marathi in December, 1958;
- (d) German for Austria in September, 1957.
Also in that period the services in the following languages were abolished and restarted.
- (a) Portuguese was abolished in August, 1957, and restarted in April, 1963;
- (b) Thai was abolished in March, 1960 and restarted in June, 1962.
Finally, in the period concerned, the following new services were introduced:
- (a) Hausa in March, 1957;
- (b) Swahili in June, 1957;
- (c) Somali in July, 1957.
§ Mr. Bostonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will state the total average amount of weekly broadcasting in the British Broadcasting Corporation's External Services in each of the last 10 years.
§ Mr. George ThomsonThe total average amount of weekly broadcasting in the B.B.C.'s External Services in each of the last 10 years was as follows:
hours minutes 1956 559 45 1957 605 30 1958 564 45 1959 575 30 1960 601 00 1961 596 15 1962 603 45 1963 610 00 1964 617 15 1965 638 45