Lord Chelwoodasked Her Majesty's Government:
If capital expenditure is left out of account, how much the BBC World Service will receive in annual grant-in-aid in real terms in 1989–90 and 1990–91 compared with 1988–89, and whether they will make good any shortfall that arises so that the triennial review is based on the figures originally intended.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Glenarthur)The intention in setting the grants-in-aid at a fixed level for a three-year period is to enable the BBC to plan ahead against an assured level of funding based on a specified prescription. The BBC World Service grants-in-aid for the three-year period 1988–89 to 1990–91 set in the 1987 public expenditure round contain provision for curent expenditure on broadcasting of £85.7 million in 1989–90 and £90–5 million in 1990–91. This represents an actual increase of about 5.5 per cent. in each year. We have no plans to reconsider the levels of BBC World Service funding.