§ 38. Mr. Errollasked the Postmaster-General to what extent industry is represented on the Television Advisory Committee; and how he ensures that all radio manufacturers are kept informed of policy decisions on television made by his Department.
§ The Postmaster-General (Mr. Wilfred Paling)In view of the appointment of the Broadcasting Committee under the chairmanship of Lord Beveridge, to consider the wider aspects of broadcasting, including television, the Television Advisory Committee has recently been reconstituted, and its terms of reference are now:
to advise the Postmaster-General on current development problems of the B.B.C.'s television service.The members of the reconstituted Committee include Sir William Coates (who is deputy-chairman of Imperial 388 Chemical Industries, Ltd.), and Mr. I. A. R. Stedeford, the chairman of Tube Investments, Ltd., as well as Mr. J. A. Ratcliffe of the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge University, with senior officials of the Treasury and the Post Office and the Director-General of the B.B.C. Of the independent members of this Committee, none of whom has been appointed to represent any sectional interest, two have wide experience in industry.The Committee has, on a number of occasions, met representatives of the Radio Industry Council and will be meeting them again this week.
§ Mr. ErrollWill the Postmaster-General ask the Committee to pay special attention to the importance of seeing that the radio industry itself is informed of the decisions which the Committee takes?
§ Mr. PalingI think one can be pretty sure that it will do that.
§ Mr. MarplesAs the policy of this Committee cannot really be framed without knowing the manufacturing capacity of the industry itself, would it not be prudent and advisable to have the industry directly represented on the Committee?
§ Mr. PalingIf it wants that information I suppose it will ask for it.