§ Mr. Knoxasked the Lord Privy Seal (1) why the grants for youth exchanges with Eastern Europe and Germany will be higher in 1980–81 than in the present financial year;
482W(2) why the Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council will receive no grant in the financial year 1980–81;
(3) why the grants for youth exchanges with France and Western Europe will be lower in 1980–81 than in the present financial year.
§ Mr. LuceI regret that the figures for youth exchanges given in my reply of 19 November, which covered British Council grants, were incorrect. Information is not available on the amounts given by local authorities or non-governmental sources to exchanges in this area. British Council grants for youth exchanges in the current financial year and estimates for 1980–81 are given below:
1979–80 1980–81 £ £ Eastern Europe 107,010 50,000 France 72,040 77,590 Germany 104,600 114,800 Western Europe 90,410 99,110 Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council 79,080 Nil 453,140 341,500 The British Council now hopes to find an additional £15,000 to assist the Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council in 1980–81.
The increases in the French, German and Western European programmes are accounted for by a risen cost element not yet approved. If approval is received the increased budget will maintain activity at a level similar to, or slightly lower than in, 1979–80. Cuts across all programmes would have produced only minimal savings in administrative costs. The British Council therefore decided that the reductions must fall on those youth exchange programmes which it considered least cost effective; that is, those with the Commonwealth and Eastern Europe.