Peacock Report (Hansard, 24 July 1986)

§ 9. Mr. Patrick Thompson
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received since publication of the Peacock Report.

§ 11. Mr. Allen McKay
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning the Peacock report.

§ Mr. Hurd
We have received a small number of letters from hon. Members and from the public about specific matters raised in the report.

§ Mr. Thompson
I thank my right hon. Friend for his reply. Bearing in mind the increasing burden of the licence fee on many ordinary people, does my right hon. Friend agree that it would be wrong to tie the BBC licence fee to the retail prices index, as suggested by the Peacock committee? Should it not be tied to some RPI minus X formula, leading, I hope, to a reduction in the licence fee and a concentration of the BBC's mind on priorities, efficiency and quality?

§ Mr. Hurd
That is an interesting variation on the recommendation in the Peacock report. We are considering, and must consider, if we are to live with the licence fee as a system for some time, how we can ensure that citizens are protected from excessive increases and that the BBC has the same sort of pressures on it for efficiency as are common throughout the public sector.

§ Mr. McKay
Does the Home Secretary accept that the Peacock report has endorsed the view of Parliament regarding concessionary television licences for old people? Will he now take the opportunity of the next Queen's Speech to announce that concessionary television licences will be adopted? This is probably his last chance before an incoming Labour Government will do so.

§ Mr. Hurd
I recommend as holiday reading to the hon. Gentleman the Peacock report, which went out of its way to demolish the Labour party's proposition.

§ Mr. Soames
Has my right hon. Friend seen the representations from my constituents on the Peacock report, particularly those connected with the disgraceful reporting by the BBC of the position in South Africa? What steps will he take to ensure that a political balance is restored to the BBC?

§ Mr. Hurd
The responsibility for ensuring that the BBC treats controversial subjects with due impartiality rests with the board of governors of the BBC and is enshrined in its resolution of 8 January 1981, which is an annex to the BBC's licence and agreement. Parliament has given the board of governors of the BBC, not the Home Secretary or any Minister, this extremely important responsibility and it is up to the board to make arrangements to ensure that that responsibility is discharged.