11
C
417
Written Answers
23 DECEMBER 1981
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
BBC (External Service)
Mr. Churchill asked the Lord Privy Seal what is the best estimate of the number of listeners to the British Broadcasting Corporation external service broadcasts to Poland; whether he has any evidence that these broadcasts are being jammed; and what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to increase, if only on a temporary basis, the number of hours per day of Polish language transmissions.
LAST PAPERtes
Mr. Humphrey Atkins: The BBC does not undertake audience research in Poland, but according to a United States study the BBC's regular audience there—ie, those Histening at least once a week-was in the region of 6 million adults in 1980. There is no evidence so far that the BBC's broadcasts to Poland are being jammed. As I announced yesterday, the hours of broadcasting in Polish are about to rise from 211⁄4 to 261⁄4 hours per week.
Mr. Churchill asked the Lord Privy Seal what is the daily average of Polish language broadcasts currently being transmitted by the British Broadcasting Corporation external service; and what, approximately, were the daily averages in 1951, 1961 and 1971, respectively.
Mr. Humphrey Atkins: The BBC is currently broadcasting three hours a day-34 hours on Sundays-in Polish, a total of 214 hours a week. The equivalent figures for 1951, 1961 and 1971, respectively, were 11⁄2 hours a day-101⁄2 a week-approximately two hours and 20 minutes-161⁄4 a week-and about three hours and 10 minutes-22 a week. As I announced yesterday, the hours of broadcasting are about to rise to 334 hours per day-264 hours a week.
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Hong Kong (Vietnamese Refugees)
Dr. Edmund Marshall asked the Lord Privy Seal how many Vietnamese refugees are now in Hong Kong.
Mr. Humphrey Atkins: On 22 December there were 16,072 Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong.
Spain (Broadcasts)
Mr. Greville Janner asked the Lord Privy Seal if, in view of the present political situation in Spain, it remains his intention to end the BBC external service broadcasts in Spanish to Spain on 31 December.
Mr. Luce: Yes.
Mr. Greville Janner asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will give consideration to merging the BBC external service Latin American programmes in Spanish with those to Spain in Spanish to ensure that the latter broadcasts continue after 31 December.
Mr. Luce: We have looked into this. A merger would involve considerable technical difficulties. For example, transmissions would have to beamed in different directions, at some extra cost. Moreover, there are different time zones, differing interests between Spanish and Latin American audiences and differences of accent and even vocabulary.
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Written Answers
Mr. Creville Janner asked the Lord Privy S whether the make it his polity no to relinquish i
holy ill right to the use of the wavelength at present used external service broadcasts to Spain in Spanish.
Mr. Luce: We hope that the BBC will retain the m useful of the frequencies formerly used by the servic which are being discontinued and use these as necessa for other services.
Mr. Greville Janner askee Lo
Seal he
many representations he has received concerning t closure of the BBC Spanish service to Spain; and frc whom.
Mr. Luce: Of the separate representations receiv since our plans for the BBC external service were fi announced in the House in June, roughly 50 we primarily concerned with the Spanish service to Spain. would require a disproportionate amount of time to li each individual correspondent.
Mr. Greville Janner asked the Lord Privy Se whether he is satisfied that the BBC external servic topical tape service will continue to be re-broadcast Spain following the ending of direct broadcasting: Spanish; and upon what factors he bases his assessmen
Mr. Luce: The BBC seeks to distribute its topical tape abroad wherever there is a demand for them. What is no being proposed for Spain--and also for Italy-is completely new recorded service to provide material more general interest for re-broadcasting by local radi stations. This assessment of requirements is based on proposal from the BBC.
Mr. Greville Janner asked the Lord Privy Seal o what evidence Her Majesty's Government based th judgment referred to by his noble Friend the Lor Trefgarne that a petition from journalists in Spain for th retention of BBC external service broadcasts in Spanish t that country might not have been entirely spontaneous House of Lords Official Report, 26 November, colum 914.
Mr. Luce: It is well known that the BBC's supporter: conducted a vigorous campaign both at home and oversea: against some of our proposals for the BBC externa service.
European Community (United Kingdom Membership)
Mr. Ancram asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he has received representations from Commonwealth countries, included in the Lomé convention, regarding the United Kingdom's continuing membership of the EEC.
Mr. Humphrey Atkins: No. As over half of the developing countries which enjoy substantial trade-aid benefits from their association with the Community through the Lomé convention are members of the Commonwealth, one would expect them generally to support our continuing membership.
Discrimination Against Women (Convention) Miss Joan Lestor asked the Lord Privy Seal,
pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Belper (Mrs. Faith) on 23 July, Official Report, c. 212, whether Her Majesty's
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.