HC Deb 19 April 1961 vol 638 cc1165-7
44. Mr. Mayhew

asked the Postmaster-General what was the maximum amount of advertising permitted to be broadcast in any hour by the Indepedent Television Authority in 1958, 1959, 1960 and 1961; and what consultation he has had with the Authority under Section 4 (4) of the Television Act, 1954, to enforce a maximum of six minutes in any hour.

Mr. Bevins

The normal maximum was eight minutes from the beginning of 1958 to September, 1960, 7½ minutes until December, 1960, and it has been seven minutes since then. On occasion, the Authority allows, subject to its prior approval, more than seven minutes in any one clock hour, provided this is offset by a reduction in the preceding or following hour.

The answer to the second part of the Question is "None".

Mr. Mayhew

Is the Minister aware that Channel 9 since it began has now broadcast well over 100 hours of excess television commercials, free of the new tax and bringing £1 million to the television programme companies? If a maximum of seven minutes is now regarded as being right, why was that maximum not brought in before? On what grounds is the maximum seven minutes and not six minutes as Parliament was assured it would be when the Television Act was passed?

Mr. Bevins

The rule to which I.T.A. works is a limit of six minutes spot advertising averaged over the day. During the first six months of last year the average in peak hours was about seven minutes per hour. During the first three months of this year that has fallen to 6.4 minutes. The average for the whole day during the last three months has been 4.8 minutes, which I do not think is unreasonable.

Mr. J. T. Price

As the right hon. Gentleman has now become a sleeping partner in television advertising and will cream off 10 per cent. of the revenues for the purposes of the Exchequer, may we have an assurance that suitable arrangements will be made by his Department in consultation with the Treasury to have proper auditing facilities available to check these times and to see that they are observed? Otherwise, is it not obvious to everybody that the Chancellor of the Exchequer will have an interest in compounding a felony?

Mr. Bevins

The Opposition cannot have it both ways.

Mr. Shinwell

Will the right hon. Gentleman take it from me that sometimes the advertising is much more interesting than the programmes? Is he also aware that occasionally the B.B.C. surreptitiously introduces advertising for which, of course, it does not receive any revenue?

Mr. Ellis Smith

May we have an example?

Mr. Bevins

I have on occasion expressed the same view as that expressed by the right hon. Member for Easington (Mr. Shinwell) in the first part of his supplementary question. As for the second part, I do not think that the B.B.C. deliberately does that sort of thing, but it sometimes creeps in inadvertently.

Mr. W. R. Williams

Is not the important point here that the House during the debates on this matter was assured that the time at any hour would not exceed six minutes? Is it not the right hon. Gentleman's responsibility to see that the assurance which was given to the House is strictly observed?

Mr. Bevins

As I have tried to indicate in my reply, the average time during the last three months devoted to spot advertising has been 4.8 minutes and the average during peak hours 6.4 minutes. I do not think that the practices of the television companies are in any sense at variance with what was said in Parliament when the Act was passed.