HC Deb 03 March 1952 vol 497 cc5-6W
67. Major Beamish

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the whole cost of the efforts made by the British Broadcasting Corporation to overcome the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic's attempts to jam broadcasts to countries behind the iron curtain and to Finland has had to be met from the grant to the Overseas Service; that this has been one of the main reasons for the recently announced cuts in the services to friendly countries: and if he will consider the possibility of meeting from other sources the whole of the cost of the attempts to prevent jamming.

Mr. Nutting

These measures have so far been financed from the grant-in-aid, but the proposed cuts in services to friendly countries have been caused mainly by rising costs. The possibility of meeting the cost of the measures necessary to counter the jamming of services to satellite countries is under consideration. But no final decision has yet been taken.