MEMORIAL TO THOSE INVOLVED IN THE BBC WORLD SERVICE EASTERN EUROPEAN SECTIONS

Early day motion 956, tabled 7 November 2005 by Greg Hands (Conservative). Signed by 78 members.

That this House notes the BBC's proposal to end World Service broadcasts in various Central and Eastern European languages, including Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Croatian and Slovene; further notes that these radio stations have been in operation since September 1939, and acted for 50 years during the Second World War and the Cold War as a beacon of hope, liberty and democracy to the nations of Central and Eastern Europe under totalitarian control; and urges the BBC to consult relevant organisations with a view to building an appropriate physical memorial to those who worked on these broadcasts, perhaps including a statue of Georgi Markov, who was assassinated in London on 11th September 1978, by the Bulgarian secret police due to his broadcasts on the World Service.

Signatures by party: Conservative 57, Liberal Democrat 10, Labour 9, Plaid Cymru 1, Scottish National Party 1.