HC Deb 08 June 1971 vol 818 cc877-8
Mr. Crouch

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Are you aware that we have just come back from the Whitsun Recess to find that the House is being televised? From where I now stand I can see three television sets. I am not aware that the House has been advised that these sets were to be installed. Apart from their being an architectural monstrosity—and I am not sure that they are even readable, though I imagine that they are there for the benefit of strangers and the Press—as there has been so much discussion about whether the House should be televised and what manner of communication of proceedings in this House should be given, I feel that the first to be asked about this should be the Members of the House. As you are aware, Mr. Speaker, I am a member of the Committee appointed by yourself responsible for the Arts and chaired by my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, South (Mr. Batsford). I should have thought that, as a question of decoration if not of communication, the matter would at least have been referred to that Committee.

I would be grateful if you could advise us, cither now or later, whether this matter has had your approval and whether you feel that it should be put to the House.

The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. William Whitelaw)

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker, I should make it clear that the Services Committee considered the matter. I must point out to my hon. Friend the Member for Canterbury (Mr. Crouch) that the House is not being televised in any way at all. These screens merely show what business is going on in the House. It was felt that such annunciators would be for the advantage of the Press and of people in the Strangers' Gallery in appreciating what was going on in the House and would not intrude to any great extent on Members of the House.

I should like to make the experiment. If the Press and people in the Strangers' Gallery do not like the sets, and if Members of the House object, we will consider the subject again, but we thought this was a comparatively simple way of helping those in the Press Gallery and in the Strangers' Gallery.

Mr. Rankin

Many of us are glad to hear that the House is not being televised. Many of us on hearing the first statement were alarmed, because it appeared that the wrong side of the House was being televised.

Mr. Speaker

The matter has been raised and the Leader of the House has made his statement. If I am allowed to comment, I think that this innovation is some slight reflection on the audibility and clarity of our proceedings. However that may be, T think the matter can rest there.