asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, in view of the situation in the Falkland Islands and the renewed attention devoted to Gibraltar, he will consider reviving the BBC external service in Spanish to Spain.
The requirements of external broadcasting are kept constantly under close review. At present we have no plans to revive the BBC broadcasts in Spanish to Spain. A new taped service for re-broadcasting by local stations began in January.
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with the BBC the possibility of increasing its overseas service broadcast.
We are in regular touch with the BBC. During April we authorised an increase of one hour a day in the BBC's Spanish service to Latin-America and an increase in the world service's special 35-minute broadcasts to the Falkland Islands from one a week to seven.