§ 12. Ms ChurchTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the validity of the asymmetry principle in relation to telecommunications policy.
§ Mr. Ian TaylorThere is no asymmetry, as explained in the Command Paper on creating super-highways in the United Kingdom, which was published yesterday.
§ Ms ChurchDoes the Minister agree that the decision that was announced yesterday means that it will be difficult for British Telecom and Mercury to carry out the Government's proposals on competitiveness and investment? How will they be able to compete internationally, how will they be able to invest the £15 billion that they will want to invest and how will they lead Britain into the 21st century in that sector?
§ Mr. TaylorBT, Mercury and the other public telephony operators are allowed into the household to supply video on demand, home shopping arid home banking. They are allowed to take all services into small business and all services of a fibre-optic nature into institutions of health and education. They are not restrained. I was delighted to welcome yesterday BT's statement that it will continue massive investment in those sectors.
The hon. Lady should understand that the success of the revolution in optic fibres has been achieved partly through competition, and that has been established by giving the cable companies a secure period in which to invest and to lay cables. We are now halfway through the cycle, and I have no intention of uprooting the investors before they have even had a chance of obtaining a proper return.