§ 8. Michael Fabricant (Lichfield)If she will make a statement on the recent work of the Independent Television Commission. [26171]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Dr. Kim Howells)The Independent Television Commission, as an independent regulator, continues to fulfil its regulatory duties of licensing and monitoring commercial television services under the Broadcasting Acts 1990 and 1996.
§ Michael FabricantWill the Minister join me in praising the ITC's work, and hoping that it will play an active role in the formation of Ofcom?
The Minister knows as well as I do that, at times of economic uncertainty, the first thing to happen is a Fall in advertising revenues. He will also know that ITV's net advertising receipts have Fallen by about 12 per cent. this year, and that, if ITV is to maintain and improve the quality of its programming, the ITC must be given freedom to allow Carlton and Granada to combine. What consideration has he given to that?
§ Dr. HowellsWe have given every consideration to that. I have discussed the matter with the hon. Gentleman on previous occasions. We should not tackle this matter piecemeal—it should be part of a properly structured communications Bill that we put before the House—but I understand what he is saying. The ITC does a very good job in all respects. Some special difficulties have hit the independent television companies, especially over the past 12 months. However, they made some very large profits in the 24 months or so that preceded that. They are pretty tough companies which have been in the business a long time and know that there are some downs as well as a lot of ups.
§ Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove)Why is it the policy of the Department so Far to insist that the ITV companies offer their programmes to the satellite sector, without insisting on a must-carry policy for the satellite sector, which clearly creates difficulties in bargaining power between the two sectors? Can the Minister explain the Department's policy and whether he has a mind to change it?
§ Dr. HowellsI know that the Conservative party has become very hands on and statist in the past week or so, but it is not my business to tell the ITV companies, still less Sky, what the nature of essentially commercial contracts between those two organisations should be.