§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his oral answer of 13 Janaury 1998,Official Report, column 141, what assessment he has made of the advantages of providing the BBC World Service in key languages. [24783]
§ Mr. FatchettBroadcasting in vernacular languages is an important element in the World Service's ability to reach its target audience. We and the World Service keep its 44 language services under constant review. New languages are introduced and others closed down to meet new priorities.