HC Deb 07 July 1964 vol 698 cc199-200
6. Mr. Chapman

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that Independent Television Authority broadcasts continue to be interrupted by advertisement periods without there being any break in the programme itself, one example, admitted by the Authority, being at 9.45 p.m. on 15th May; and, in view of the fact that such interruptions constitute a breach of the Television Act, if he will introduce legislation to enable the members of the Board of the Independent Television Authority to be prosecuted in the courts for such breaches of the law.

Mr. Bevins

It is the duty of the I.T.A. to enforce the provisions of the Television Acts. However, it tells me, as I understand it has told the hon. Member, that the incident referred to by him was a mistake due to a human error. The answer to the second part of the Question is "No, Sir."

Mr. Chapman

Is not a principle at stake here? Is the Board to get off scot-free every time it allows the Act to be broken in order that contractors can make more profit? Why should the Board be treated differently from directors of ordinary companies who, when they break the Companies Act which covers their operations, are prosecuted, fined and possibly imprisoned? Why this difference when profits are being illegally made?

Mr. Bevins

The hon. Member is making rather heavy weather of a small thing. [HON. MEMBERS: "The law."] I should like to put this matter in perspective. First, the Authority has freely admitted that an error was made. During the past 12 months advertisements have been inserted in about 5,500 intervals of which 2,500 were in natural breaks and 3,000 between programmes. During the whole of that period there have been only three reported infringements.

Mr. M. Foot

Can the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that in the last week or two, in furtherance of this kind of breach, the noble Lord, Lord Hill, has not given an assurance to television companies that they will have extra advertising time to make up for the time which they may have lost during the period of the strike?

Mr. Bevins

I am sure that that is most improbable.

Mr. Mayhew

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the natural breaks themselves are a form of abuse night after night? Is he aware that they were defined originally as breaks which would have occurred anyhow but not artificially made for the insertion of advertisements? Is he aware that breaks are made for the insertion of advertisements night after night and that this has gone on for years while he has been Postmaster-General?

Mr. Bevins

As hon. Members know, this has always been a vexed and tricky question, but Parliament has decided on more than one occasion that advertisements should be allowed during natural breaks. This is largely a question of the nature of the programme. In the programme referred to it was wrong to assume a break between ice-skating contestants, and this has been freely admitted.