HC Deb 09 March 2004 vol 418 cc1495-6

8.2 pm

Jim Knight (South Dorset) (Lab)

I have pleasure in presenting a petition initiated by Mark Probin of Weymouth HiFi and signed by more than 1,100 of my constituents. Indeed, many continue; to sign it online by visiting www.wewantdigital.co.uk.

The petition Declares that access to the licence fee-funded Freeview service is non-existent in the Weymouth area. Constituents are left with no choice but to purchase a Sky box if they want to receive digital channels. Constituents in South Dorset only get four channels for the licence fee, whereas elsewhere they get a myriad of others.

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to prioritise getting the Weymouth transmitter upgraded and eliminate the digital divide in this part of Dorset. The petitioners further request that the Government take action to upgrade the transmitter and complete the digital `switchover' well before its deadline of 2010 and that the Secretary of State, in reviewing the BBC Charter, should stipulate that all services should be made available to all licence payers within a reasonable period.

And the Petitioners remain, etc.

To lie upon the Table.

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