§ Mr. Hugh Jenkinsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he is aware that the British Broadcasting Corporation are having to dismiss broadcasters on contract in their foreign service because of the cost of selective employment tax; and if he will increase the British Broadcasting Corporation's grant for this service.
§ Mr. WhitlockThe British Broad-casting Corporation states that no broad-casters on contract in its External Services have been dismissed solely because of the cost of selective employment tax. Increases in costs such as those arising from this tax are taken into account when the annual grant in aid is fixed.
§ Mr. Hugh Jenkinsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he is aware that there has been no increase in the British Broad-casting Corporation's payments to broad-casters in their foreign service for 15 years and that an increase of more than 50 per cent. is necessary to restore the value of the fees paid to these broad-casters; and if he will increase the grant to the British Broadcasting Corporation so as to enable this increase to be paid.
§ Mr. WhitlockThe British Broadcasting Corporation states that there have been a number of increases in fees paid to broadcasting contributors to its External Services during the last 15 years. These have been reflected in the calculation of the grant in aid.