asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what study his Department has given to the project for a world university of the air as a development of the BBC external services and the Open University; and if he will make it his policy to propose that the project should be sponsored by the EEC as an extension of the Lomé convention.

We are aware of the potential opportunities offered by satellite broadcasting. We are considering these carefully. There is currently no provision in the grants in aid of the BBC external services for a world university of the air project. We shall consider whether this could be pursued under EC sponsorship.