§ 16. Mr. Steenasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and other eastern European countries about the jamming of the British Broadcasting Corporation external services.
§ 57. Mr. Bendallasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Soviet authorities concerning the jamming of British Broadcasting Corporation external services programmes to the Soviet Union and eastern bloc countries, against the principles of the Helsinki final act; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RentonWe continue to take suitable opportunities to remind the Soviet Union of its commitments under the various international agreements which cover this issue, and my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, Pentlands (Mr. Rifkind) intends to raise this matter again with the Soviet authorities during his current visit to the USSR. No other east European country is currently jamming BBC services.
§ 27. Mr. Sheermanasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will increase the funds available to the British Broadcasting Corporation external services to enable it to meet not only its current commitments but also to compete more favourably with other international broadcasting stations.
§ Mr. RentonThere has been a real increase of over 30 per cent. in the total grants-in-aid to the British Broadcasting Corporation external services since 1979. During this period broadcasting levels have risen from 711½ to 727½ hours per week and considerable improvements are being made to British Broadcasting Corporation audibility overseas under the £100 million programme agreed in 1981. Although in terms of broadcasting hours the British Broadcasting Corporation rank only fifth, the quality of British broadcasting output has won them an estimated 120 million listeners worldwide making the British Broadcasting Corporation the most popular overseas broadcasting service.
§ 65. Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make compensation available to the British Broadcasting Corporation external services for losses incurred due to sterling imbalances earlier in the year.
§ Mr. RentonOverseas expenditure of the BBC external services represented only about 6 per cent. of their total grants-in-aid in 1984–85. The effect of exchange rate movements on the total expenditure of the external services, which can result in gains as well as losses, is therefore relatively small. But this issue will remain under discussion.