HC Deb 12 March 1973 vol 852 cc868-9
6. Mr. Fowler

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he will now introduce an independent element into the handling of complaints from the public against broadcasting organisations so that members of the public can appeal to an independent body.

Sir J Eden

No, Sir.

Mr. Fowler

That is a deeply unsatisfactory reply. Have not other Government Departments accepted the case for an independent review of complaints from the public? Is not the latest sign of this the Home Secretary's announcement about complaints against the police? On what grounds should broadcasting organisations be exempt from such a check?

Sir J. Eden

My hon. Friend was asking whether I would now introduce this independent element. As he is well aware, there is already a Programme Complaints Commission and there is the IBA's Complaints Review Board, both of which now provide some independent element. My hon. Friend will also have noted that I am discussing with the chairmen of the BBC and the IBA ways in which the viewers' interests can better be represented.

Mr. Robert Cooke

Will my right hon. Friend explore a way in which there could be fewer complaints? Notwithstanding the extension to 1981 of the BBC Charter and the other companies, if there were more channels long before then there could be a greater variety of views broadcast and there would not be the same reason for complaint that there is now.

Sir J. Eden

That is a view held by my hon. Friend which I respect. But the matter is one primarily of the method of representation and the extent to which views are taken into account by those responsible for the content of programmes.

Mr. William Hamilton

There is a very widely held view that we probably have the best broadcasting organisation in the world, envied by almost every other country in the world. Will the Minister say how many complaints are received by the organisations, on average, each week or each month as a proportion of the total number of viewers or listeners?

Sir J. Eden

I cannot answer the hon. Gentleman. If I can obtain the information I shall send it to him. But it is primarily a matter for the broadcasting authorities. What the hon. Gentleman says about the quality of broadcasting services in this country is absolutely right, but I am sure that neither he nor any other hon. Member would expect us to be complacent about that. It is the need to continue to observe high standards and quality in programmes that obviously he and others have in mind.

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