§ 14. Mr. C. R. Hobsonasked the Postmaster-General if he will refer the activities of the television programme companies to the Monopolies Commission.
§ Mr. K. ThompsonI understand from my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade that under the 1948 Monopolies Act the Commission is empowered only to examine the supply of goods, which does not include T.V. programmes. I think the hon. Member will not expect me to comment on the merits of his proposal.
§ Mr. HobsonIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the purposes of this Act have been evaded and that inadvertently, by the passing of this Act, we have tied ourselves up with one of the worst monopolies in existence in Britain, where 378 the annual profits are running at £5 million for a very few people and where even one of the promoters of the programme companies has said that the cake is too rich?
§ Mr. ThompsonI can understand the dismay of the hon. Gentleman at coming across a monopoly set up by Statute that makes a profit. The fact of the matter is that the service is being operated strictly in accordance with the terms of the Act and that there is no cause for us to think that it is wrong.
§ Mr. GowerIs it not a fact that, if by reason of this gunning at the I.T.V. hon. Gentlemen opposite succeeded in destroying it, these programmes, if no longer provided from advertising revenue, would cost a great deal of money either out of public funds or from the licence fees provided by private citizens?
§ Mr. ThompsonYes. The record of the party opposite in this matter is very well known.
§ Mr. HobsonIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the Television Act was passed in order to break up the monopoly of the B.B.C. and that in its place has been put a far worse monopoly, over which there is no control whatever?
§ Mr. ThompsonIn fact, there is control by the Independent Television Authority, with all its powers, as set up by the Act passed by this House.
§ 15. Mr. C. R. Hobsonasked the Postmaster-General the number of consultations he has had with the Independent Television Authority this year regarding abuses of the Television Act by the programme companies.
§ Mr. K. ThompsonThe Post Office has had frequent consultations this year with the Authority in regard to the complaints of alleged abuses of the Act.