§ 6. Mr. Chopeasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the criteria to be used to determine the respective timings of the publication of (a) the report of the Committee on Broadcasting charied by Professor Peacock and (b) the Government's response to that report.
§ Mr. HurdMy aim is to give the House the earliest opportunity to read the published report, together with our initial response to it.
§ Mr. ChopeIs my right hon. Friend aware that the publication is eagerly awaited, not least to see whether the report contains anything that has not already been leaked? To what extent will there be public consultation upon it, and to what extent will the publication discourage the BBC from issuing news broadcasts which contain comment thinly disguised and masquerading as news?
§ Mr. HurdI have noticed a certain interest in the report. Perhaps next week there will be an opportunity, if Professor Peacock agrees, for it to be published and for me to give a first response to it. It will have to be a first response, because it will contain much which the House and people outside will wish to discuss, including no doubt my hon. Friend's point.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisIs the Home Secretary aware that any attempt to privatise Radios 1 and 2 will be fiercely resisted, as will any move to force the BBC to sell off any of its services? In his first response, will he say what study his Department is making of the damage that will be done to independent radio if Radios 1 and 2 are sold off?
§ Mr. HurdThe right hon. Gentleman is leaping ahead. He may have an opportunity to comment on this when the report is published. There have been a good many leaks, and he has drawn on one or two. What has been lacking in any leak that I have seen is an account or summary of the interesting philosophy which underlies the report.