§ Mr. Gwynfor Evansasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the capital cost at current rates of ensuring English language programmes for British troops and their 73W families in Germany; and what will be the cost of establishing a microwave link from London.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownThe current estimate of the capital cost for the completed system is now about £12 million. Of this, about £0.5 million will be spent on establishing a microwave link between the United Kingdom and Germany. I have written to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. Gwynfor Evansasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many British people are capable of receiving the signal in television broadcasts to British troops and their families in Germany; and what is his estimate of the annual running cost of the service.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownThe audience of the television service at present provided for the British forces in Germany is about 18,000. By the end of 1979 the audience will have increased to about 168,000 Service men and their families. When the service is in full operation it is estimated that the annual running costs will be of the order of £1 million.
§ Mr. Gwynfor Evansasked the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for ensuring English language television programmes for the Bielefeld and Munster areas in Germany.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownIt is now planned to extend the television service for British Service men and their families in Germany to Bielefeld and Munster
§ Mr. Gwynfor Evansasked the Secretary of State for Defence what English language television programmes are broadcast to troops at Celle, near Hanover, for rebroadcast to barracks and married quarters in the area.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownThe programmes broadcast to Service men and their families of the British forces in Germany are a balanced mix of those transmitted by the BBC and Independent Television companies in the United Kingdom.