32. Mrs. Slaterasked the Postmaster-General if, in view of the high cost of a television aerial to obtain the new services and the extent of aerial required, he will introduce legislation to enable him to provide a piped service, especially on new housing estates, operating from a central British Broadcasting Corporation aerial.
§ Mr. MawbyNo, Sir. I understand that the cost of a UHF aerial (including installation) is on average much the same as the cost of installing a VHF aerial. Piped services can, of course, be provided by relay companies or local authorities.
Mrs. SlaterDoes the hon. Gentleman know that this problem is facing every local authority because of the high cost of these aerials, which is between £30 and £40, and that we are handing to two large companies, in the main, Telefusion and Rediffusion, the monopoly of piping television to these people on housing estates? Does not he realise that this method of doing the work is taking away the freedom of the people in those houses to choose whether they want it or not and that Is. 2d. a week on their rent is a considerable charge for this service? Should not the G.P.O. be getting the profit rather than private enterprise?
§ Mr. MawbyI see the hon. Lady's point, because there will obviously be an increasing demand for a piped service or need for more and more aerials as more and more stations develop. It may be, therefore, that many more people will not want a complete Christmas tree on top of their houses. The difficulty is that we in the Post Office must, with our present resources, concentrate on developing the public telecommunications services. We are prepared to license both private companies and local authorities where they feel that there is a need to provide a piped service.
§ Mr. ProudfootHas my hon. Friend worked out any estimate of by how much the licence fee would go up if this suggestion were taken note of?
Mrs. SlaterDoes not the Assistant Postmaster-General realise that this is definitely a service which the G.P.O. should be giving to the public? Would not the profits which are obviously being made from this help in the other work which the G.P.O. is so anxious to do?
§ Mr. Mawby—that might be so. But, as the hon. Lady knows, the difficulty in many spheres of public activity is that we are using all the capital that we have available, and at present we feel that with the capital that we have available in the Post Office we are more justified in developing the telecommunications services so that the nation gets the service which it really deserves.