§ 3.23 p.m.
§ THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL (EARL DE LA WARR)My Lords, with your Lordships' permission, I would ask your leave to make a Statement regarding the British Broadcasting Corporation. Your Lordships are already aware that the Charter and Licence of the Corporation expire on December 31, 1951. The Government have given preliminary consideration to the recommendations of the Broadcasting Committee, to the Memorandum on the Report presented by the late Government in July last, and to the views expressed in the debates which took place in your Lordships' House and in another place in the same month. The Government feel that it is impossible for them to reach final decisions on the important issues involved—particularly on those matters on which criticisms were expressed in the debates—in time for a new Charter and Licence for a term of years to operate from January 1, 1952. Your Lordships will realise that when decisions have been taken, some time is required for the drafting of the documents and for the proceedings in Parliament.
The Government propose, therefore, to recommend to the King that a new Charter should be granted for a period of six months so as to afford reasonable time for the examination of the terms of a longer-term Charter, and for consideration by Parliament. A new Licence covering this period will also be issued. The short term Charter and Licence will incorporate the provisions of the documents now in force except for a variation in the financial arrangements. In the present economic circumstances, the Government have decided to adopt from January 1 the proposal of the late Government that the Parliamentary grant to the B.B.C. should be at the rate of 85 per cent. of net licence revenue and the new Licence will accordingly provide for that percentage to apply for the extension period. The Government propose to recommend to His Majesty reappointment of the Governors for six months, ending June 30, 1952.
§ VISCOUNT JOWITTMy Lords I am grateful to the noble Earl for making that statement. I confess that I do not think the attitude which he is adopting 561 is at all unreasonable. Of course, he will agree that uncertainty is very undesirable, and it is essential that at the earliest possible moment the Government, when they have had time to consider the conflicting issues involved, should announce definitely what their policy is to be. In the meantime, so long as they are following faithfully in the footsteps of their predecessors, I have no complaint to make.