HC Deb 09 February 1983 vol 36 c381W

Soviet and east European performance has been very poor in the fields of human contacts and information. Administrative delays and refusals continue to hamper attempts by citizens to visit or join relatives in the West. A Romanian decree published on 6 November requires Romanians who wish to emigrate to repay in hard currency the cost of their education and medical expenses, and all taxes in hard currency from the date of their application to emigrate. The continued jamming of BBC Russian and Polish language broadcasts by the Soviet union and new Soviet restrictions on the export of books contrast with the commitment under the final act to facilitate the freer and wider dissemination of information of all kinds. The reduction in the number of direct dialling telephone links with the Soviet Union also adversely affected contacts and communications between journalists and the organisations they represent, as well, of course, as contacts between private individuals.