asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications what instructions he has given to Sir Stewart Crawford regarding the priority he should give to reporting on local area coverage as distinct from the other problems his committee is investigating.

None. It is for the committee to decide what priority to give to the various problems it has been asked to consider.

Can my right hon. Friend tell the House when he expects the committee to report on that part of the overall investigation? Will he undertake that the IBA will grant no new contracts to programme companies until the report has been received by him and action has been taken by the Government?

I hope that the committee will report early next year. However, I cannot undertake to bind the IBA in any matter for which it has direct responsibility.