§ 92 and 93. Mr. Godman Irvineasked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations (1) what steps he is proposing to take to ensure that overseas programmes of the British Broadcasting Corporation are adequately broadcast so as to be received by residents on the west coast of Canada;
(2) whether he will now support the proposal to establish a relay station in the Caribbean to enable the British Broadcasting Corporation's programmes to be rebroadcast to western Canada.
§ Mr. AlportThe B.B.C.'s direct transmissions to the west coast of Canada were withdrawn in 1952 as a consequence of the financial stringency at that time. These transmissions had been particularly vulnerable to ionospheric and magnetic disturbances and this was, of course, a factor to be considered in deciding where economies should be made.
It has not been found possible hitherto to implement the proposal to establish a relay station in the Caribbean designed to overcome these difficulties. This question is now, however, being reconsidered in connection with the general review of Overseas Information Services.