Britain's Foreign Office to review BBC World Service cuts

Britain's Foreign Office has said it will review its decision to slash funding for the BBC World Service after coming under heavy pressure from MPs in the Commons, Press Gazette reported

Foreign Office Minister David Lidington stopped short of saying ministers would reverse their decision following the review, telling MPs he wanted to help the BBC find other ways of funding the service.

The World Service had initially been set a target of raising £3 million ($4.87 million) of commercial income.

Mr Lidington also criticised the pay of senior executives at the service, adding it was now looking at sharing some of its resources with other departments at the BBC.

He told the Commons that some cuts - such as the Hindi shortwave service - was a BBC decision which could not be vetoed by the government. Cutting funding to Arab services was "surprising" even before the events in the Middle East and North Africa, he added.

Mr Lidington said: "Even after the cuts, the World Service will still receive funding by the British taxpayer of £733 million ($1,190 million) over the next three years. The settlement we came to with the World Service is challenging.

(Source : Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union)