HL Deb 10 July 1996 vol 574 c19WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why there appears to have been no consultation with either staff in England or representatives of listeners overseas, prior to the announcement of restructuring plans for the BBC World Service.

The Minster of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office received assurances from the BBC that the quality of World Service programmes will be unaffected by the proposed new arrangements, that clear separation between the grant-in-aid funded World Service and the BBC's other activities will be maintained, and that we shall be fully consulted on the implications of the restructuring proposals for the World Service.