UK Parliament / Open data

BBC World Service

Proceeding contribution from Lord Hague of Richmond (Conservative) in the House of Commons on Wednesday, 26 January 2011. It occurred during Urgent question on BBC World Service.
When the right hon. Gentleman talks about Poland, one would never imagine that the World Service's Polish service was closed by the Government of whom he was a member. When he talks about the Balkans, one would never imagine that the Bulgarian, Croatian and Slovene services were also closed by the Government of whom he was a member. It was apparently fine under the previous Government sometimes to have to change priorities, but it is not fine now. The right hon. Gentleman asks about the Russian services. In Russia, online audiences have increased by 120% in the past 12 months, while radio audiences have declined by 85% since 2001. That is why it is absolutely right for the World Service to move more of its services to online and mobile services; that is the way the world is going, even though he might not have noticed it. Of course the World Service has to move with the future, and of course occasionally some services have to close. The right hon. Gentleman recognised that when he was a Minister. It is a pity he does not recognise it now.
Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
522 c295-6 
Session
2010-12
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
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