§ 12. Mr. Greyasked the Postmaster-General the number of licences issued to holders of wireless sets in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. MarplesThe answer is 256,566 at 31st March, 1957. The licences for sound only numbered 193,218, and for television and sound 63,348.
§ 13. Mr. Greyasked the Postmaster-General the number of licences issued to holders of wireless sets in the geographical counties of Durham and Northumberland.
§ Mr. MarplesThe answer is 606,615 at 31st March, 1957. The licences for sound only numbered 349,529, and for television and sound 257,086.
§ Mr. GreyDoes not the right hon. Gentleman think it rather ridiculous that although the larger proportion of licence holders is in the North-East—compared with Northern Ireland—time and time again there are more programmes for Irish listeners than for the North-East region? Will he pay attention to the Radio Times to see what type of programme the North-East is getting? If he feels that we are getting a raw deal, will he make sure that at some time we shall have our own wavelength?
§ Mr. MarplesI cannot promise the region its own wavelength for the simple reason that that is a question of international agreement, but the allocation of programme time and content is a matter for the B.B.C. I repeat what I said to my hon. Friend the Member for Tynemouth (Dame Irene Ward), that less than 10 per cent, of the programmes heard in the North-East are from Northern Ireland and that more than 90 per cent, are from the Home Service or the regional service.
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsDo not the right hon. Gentleman's figures indicate that it is time something was done about the North-East Coast? Right hon. Gentlemen have repeatedly said that they will do something about it. Can the Postmaster-General press the B.B.C. to reallocate the wavelengths allotted to Britain so that the North-East can get something better?
§ Mr. MarplesThe B.B.C. is not in a position to re-allocate wavelengths. This matter has been continuing for many years, and the real answer, as I have explained, is V.H.F. The North-East has its own V.H.F. programme with nothing from Northern Ireland on it.
§ Mrs. McLaughlinIs my right hon. Friend aware that people in Northern Ireland are no more anxious to share a wavelength with England than the people in the North-East want to share a wavelength with Northern Ireland? The people in Northern Ireland are also aware of the difficulty in which the Postmaster-General finds himself and are anxious that V.H.F. should be the answer to the problem.
§ Mr. ShortDo not the figures the right hon. Gentleman gave in answer to Questions Nos. 12 and 13 show that these two areas have the largest numbers of listeners, and is it not disgraceful that 1206 twelve years after the war we should still be without a wavelength?
§ Dame Irene WardYour fault.
§ Mr. ShortWith regard to the parrot cry of the hon. Member for Tynemouth (Dame Irene Ward), will the right hon. Gentleman confirm that this arrangement was started by the Conservative Caretaker Government?
§ Mr. MarplesIt is not a question of the number of listeners but of the number of medium wavelengths available, which are restricted. The party opposite were not able to do anything about it when they were in power. This is a technical problem concerning the limitation of wavelengths available, but the present distribution gives us the best we can get. The North-East has excellent reception for 115 hours a week, less than 10 per cent, of which comes from Northern Ireland. Any other choice—and this faced hon. Members opposite—would mean that others in the country, many hundreds of thousands, would get nothing at all, or very bad reception for many hours.
§ Dame Irene WardGive them the dates.
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsWe all thought years ago that V.H.F. was the answer to the problem. As it has turned out, it is not the answer, and the B.B.C. should be moved from its stubborn position and made to re-allocate wavelengths in the country.
§ Mr. MarplesI am sorry that the right hon. Gentleman's previous thinking has proved to be wrong.