Mr Iain Sproat: I have no such power in the Bill. Clearly, when the convergence develops—or converges more, if I can use that tautology—it may be sensible to look at those matters again. At every stage of the Bill, we have said that what we are debating now is what seems to be best in 1996. Nothing is more certain than the fact that technology will advance, and no one proclaims that more frequently and...
Mr Iain Sproat: If the chairman of the Mirror group were to say that to me, I would simply reply that it is normal in commercial life that, when one wishes to buy an asset, one may have to take a decision about selling another asset in order to do so. It is a perfectly straightforward commercial decision—it may not be an easy one, but it is not unusual. Companies do it all the time. If the Mirror group...
Mr Iain Sproat: In the general uproar, I could not hear what the hon. Gentleman was saying. Perhaps he could swiftly repeat his point.
Mr Iain Sproat: I thank the hon. Gentleman for his courtesy in repeating his question. The answer is no.
Mr Iain Sproat: The issue of the 20 per cent. national newspaper market threshold—covered by amendment No. 102—has been debated at considerable length at each stage of the Bill's passage. Our policy objective is to prevent national newspaper groups that enjoy a dominant position in the market from becoming dominant broadcasters, and vice versa. I have heard nothing this evening that shakes the...
Mr Iain Sproat: I beg to move amendment No. 24, in page 116, line 42, leave out 'sixteen' and insert 'seventeen'.
Mr Iain Sproat: Amendments Nos. 24, 25 and 26 enable the Secretary of State, by order, to include the new category of restricted service television licences within the categories of licence that are subject to the 15 per cent. total television audience share limit. Amendments Nos. 36 and 37 allow the Secretary of State to limit, by order, the number of such licences that may be held by any one person....
Mr Iain Sproat: Amendments Nos. 220 to 223 and 249 seek to remove the scheme whereby holdings in television are regulated against a 15 per cent. audience share limit. We chose audience share as a way of regulating television ownership because it relates directly to plurality. Limits based on the number of licences are no longer appropriate because licences are not a balanced unit of measure and do not...
Mr Iain Sproat: I beg to move amendment No. 28, in page 119, line 41, leave out 'for any numerical limit' and insert `or percentage for any numerical limit or percentage'. Amendment No. 28 enables the Secretary of State to vary the percentage interest short of control that a person may have in licences to provide television multiplex services.
Mr Iain Sproat: I beg to move amendment No. 29, in page 120, line 24, leave out from first 'services' to second `services' and insert `by means of two or more television multiplex services if the number of points attributable to those digital programme'.
Mr Iain Sproat: In the start-up phase of digital terrestrial television, a broadcaster may wish to provide several services on one multiplex. We do not want to prevent that, but the ownership points system would have done so. The amendment would allow the points system to operate only where a broadcaster is providing services on more than one multiplex. Amendment No. 29 gives digital terrestrial television a...
Mr Iain Sproat: I beg to move amendment No. 148, in page 121, line 43, at end insert 'or have been awarded'.
Mr Iain Sproat: Amendments Nos. 148 and 149 make it clear that, for the purposes of the 15 per cent. total radio ownership points limit, points will be allocated to the company concerned when a licence is awarded. In other words, the Radio Authority will not wait until the company is broadcasting.
Mr Iain Sproat: I beg to move amendment No. 33, in page 125, line 7, leave out 'such' and insert 'non-simulcast'.
Mr Iain Sproat: The amendments take account of the fact that local radio broadcasters are likely to want to simulcast their existing AM or FM services on local radio multiplexes and may also wish, and will be well placed to do so, to provide new services. Therefore, we have changed the restrictions on the provision of services on local radio multiplexes so that a broadcaster can provide any number of...
Mr Iain Sproat: I beg to move amendment No. 39, in page 126, leave out lines 8 to 12.
Mr Iain Sproat: Amendments Nos. 39 and 40 are minor drafting amendments that are consequential on the removal of local radio services from the scope of the order-making power in paragraph 14(1) of schedule 2. As local radio is no longer subject to an order made under paragraph 14(1), paragraph 14(4) is redundant.
Mr Iain Sproat: The ITC does not agree with the hon. Gentleman, but he is at liberty to suggest that it is not asking enough. I shall draw his comments to its attention, but it has considered the point and believes that its way will be best.
Mr Iain Sproat: Analogue will not be switched off until an equivalent bulk of the population is capable of receiving digital. I enunciated that principle many times in Committee and it will be the basis for any switch-off. The hon. Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney asked about channel 35 and its effect on Channel 5. Of course, I am aware that the ITC has proposed that channel 35 should be available to...
Mr Iain Sproat: Given the marvellous brevity of the hon. Member for Caithness and Sutherland (Mr. Maclennan), I shall begin with some good news for the Opposition, which is good news for us on the Bill. Our legal advisers are of the opinion that there is little to choose between the current formulation, using the word "secure", and one that uses the words able to "achieve", as proposed by amendment No. 230....
