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Lords amendment: No. 19, in page 6, leave out lines 25 to 28 and insert
in the case of which every conveyance made by it is either—
(a) a transmission, by wireless telegraphy, from a transmitting station for general reception of sounds, visual images or such signals as are mentioned in paragraph (c) of section 4(1) above; or
(b) a conveyance within a single set of premises of sounds, visual images or such signals which are to be or have been so transmitted.
§ Mr. ButcherI beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said amendment.
§ Mr. ButcherThese two amendments are technical amendments to the exemptions from licensing in clause 6. Amendment No. 19 concerns the exemption from licensing for the broadcasting authorities. We wish to ensure that they are exempt from licensing when they are engaged in activities that are strictly broadcasting but are not exempt in respect of other activities. As drafted, the exemption is defective in that in some circumstances it appears too wide, and in others too narrow. It is too wide because it covers some activities that we do not wish to exempt—for example, where the broadcasters run links from their studios to their transmitters and from outside broadcast locations back to their studios. It is too narrow because there is a doubt whether it covers, as is desired, relay stations run by the broadcasting authorities.
Lords amendment No. 19 deals with both these problems.
Lords amendment No. 20, to the tailpiece to subsection (2), is a clarifying amendment. It is desired that a radio or television set should be exempt from licensing when it is connected either to a United Kingdom broadcasting station or to a foreign broadcasting station. However, this provision has been read by many to imply that connection 129 of a radio set to a foreign station was not exempt. Lords amendment No. 20 removes this implication and makes the intention clear.
Lords amendment No. 21 simply corrects a typographical error.
§ Mr. John McWilliam (Blaydon)Is the Minister certain that the amendment covers a relay station? It seems to me that if it were to cover a relay station, it would have to say "reception and transmission" by wireless telegraphy rather than just "transmission". By its nature, a relay station has to receive as well as to transmit.
§ Mr. ButcherYes, Mr. Deputy Speaker.
§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Subsequent Lords amendments agreed to.