§ 6. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Postmaster-General if he will now allow the British Broadcasting Corporation to establish a series of local broadcasting stations.
§ Mr. HamiltonCan my right hon. Friend say whether he has had discussions with the B.B.C. and other people concerned with this matter since he took office? Can he give us some idea of the time-scale he has in mind? Does he realise the high degree of urgency in this highly imaginative programme which the B.B.C. has in mind?
§ Mr. BennI have had an opportunity of a first informal talk with the Chairman and Director-General of the B.B.C. and a number of subjects were discussed, including this one, but I am afraid I am not in a position to make a statement, though I appreciate the need for urgency in this matter.
§ Sir Ian Orr-EwingWould the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that there are a lot of people who would not wish to see the B.B.C. licence fee increased as a result of activity in this field? Perhaps he would consider, in all fairness, whether some of these stations might not be supplied by local authorities, by universities, or by commercial interests—[Horn. MEMBERS: "No"]—in view of the costs, so that there should be no additional cost to licence holders?
§ Mr. BennThat really raises quite a separate question. The Question was whether the B.B.C. should be allowed to establish a series of local broadcasting stations. If the hon. Member would like to put down another Question on this I would do my best to answer it.