§ 70. Mr. J. Johnsonasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware of the anti-British propaganda being broadcast by the Egyptian wireless to the territories of Aden, Somalia, Kenya, Tanganyika and Zanzibar; and what steps he is taking to counter this.
§ Mr. ProfumoI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Joint Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to the hon. Member for Haltemprice (Mr. Wall) on 16th December. I consider that the financial and technical assistance that is being given to the territories mentioned in order to help them to develop their own broadcasting services provides an effective answer to subversive radio propaganda.
49WIn addition, the B.B.C. transmits in Somali for 15 minutes three times a week and in Swahili for 15 minutes twice a week. Within a month it is hoped to introduce an additional daily fifteen-minute programme of news and topical comment to the Swahili Service and a similar expansion of the Somali service is also planned. The B.B.C. Arabic Service is now on the air for 9½ hours each day.