§ Mr. Blakerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken about the capital spending proposals of the BBC's external services.
§ Dr. OwenThe Government White Paper on overseas representation made it clear that the highest priority was being 163W given to maintaining the audibility of the BBC external services and round-the-clock broadcasting in the English Language World Service. It also stated that £20 million extra would be made available to finance a capital investment programme. As a result of a further technical assessment an improved scheme has been proposed costing £24 million, at 1977 survey prices. I have agreed to 164W make £1.9 million, at 1979 survey prices, available in 1979–80 towards the extra costs of the improved scheme from savings in the FCO PESC provision and am consulting the BBC about further savings from the BBC's grants-in-aid. These will almost certainly have to come in large part from cuts in the vernacular services which we undertook to review in the White Paper on overseas representation.