§ 82. Sir R. Glynasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is in a position to make any statement in regard to the extension of the broadcasting system available for the Colonial Empire.
Mr. Creech JonesYes. My policy is to encourage and assist Colonial territories to develop their broadcasting services and, as the House was recently informed,£1 million have now been earmarked for this purpose from the general reserve of funds provided under the Colonial Development and Welfare Act. A number of important developments are already taking place.
A complete technical survey of the broadcasting needs of the four West African Colonies has just been completed and will be acted upon with all possible speed. A wire rediffusion service aiming to serve upwards of 10,000 houses has just been opened in Hong Kong, and, as also in Malta and Trinidad, there has lately been a particularly rapid increase in the number of licensed listeners. The Governments of the Federation of Malaya and Singapore have agreed plans for providing their broadcasting service with what will probably be the finest studio equipment and premises in South East Asia. A detailed broadcasting scheme for Cyprus has been drawn up and is being considered. In Northern Rhodesia the Government are installing a transmitter of much increased power, and some thousands of cheap receivers, specially designed by a British manufacturer, are being made available to African listeners.