§ 2.36 p.m.
§ THE EARL OF LUCANMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their intentions with regard to the development of very high frequency broadcasting.]
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (EARL DE LA WARR)My Lords, noble Lords will remember that in July last the 1244 Government agreed that the B.B.C. could make a start with very high frequency sound broadcasting. Since then I have accepted the recommendation of the Television Advisory Committee that frequency modulation should be adopted for this new service, and the way is now clear for some V.H.F. stations to be provided. After further consultation with the Television Advisory Committee, I have now authorised the B.B.C. to proceed with nine stations—at Pontop Pike, Divis (near Belfast), Norwich, North Hessary Tor, Wrotham, Sutton Coldfield, Meldrum (Aberdeenshire), West Wales and Holme Moss. All of them, except Wrotham (where an experimental station has been working for some time), will be on the television station sites serving their areas. They will cover about 75 per cent. of the population.
The B.B.C. hope to have the first station in this programme—that at Wrotham—in regular service by May, 1955; the next will be at Pontop Pike and Divis; and the others will follow at intervals over the following eighteen months. The needs of other areas also are very much in my mind, and I have asked the Television Advisory Committee to let me have their further recommendations about long term plans for V.H.F. development. I should like to make it clear that the opening of these V.H.F. stations will not mean that people in the areas concerned will be unable to use their present long and medium wave sets. They will, in fact, be able to go on using these sets, as the programmes will continue to be put out on long and medium waves—as well as on V.H.F.—for many years. Those listeners who wish to take advantage of the improved service by getting new V.H.F. sets or adaptors for their present sets will be glad to know that the radio industry expect to have these ready in good time.
§ THE EARL OF LUCANMy Lords, may I thank the noble Earl for his reply. Could he explain, for the enlightenment of your Lordships, whether this is a part of the policy to clear Band III that was recommended in the First Report of the Television Advisory Committee?
§ EARL DE LA WARRThe reference to Band III meant clearing it for television. This development of sound broadcasting will not affect that.
§ THE EARL OF LISTOWELMy Lords, may I first of all say how gratified we all feel at the statement which the noble Earl has just made, and also ask him one question? Can he give any idea of the cost to the listener of adapting existing sets for the reception of these very high frequency broadcasts?
§ EARL DE LA WARRMy Lords, I have inquired of the Radio Industry Council and asked them about that point. They find it rather difficult to give me a definite answer. The Television Advisory Committee a little time ago estimated that a set incorporating V.H.F. will cost from £7 to £10 more than an existing set. I am afraid that that does not answer the noble Earl's point, but I will go into that point further and inform him about it.
§ LORD TEVIOTMy Lords, may I ask the Postmaster General whether he can give any sort of indication as to how soon colour television will be available, and whether the present sets will be suitable for picking it up? Has he any information on that?
§ EARL DE LA WARRMy Lords, we allow almost any form of irrelevance in this House, but that question has no relation to this point at all. The noble Lord will have read in the Press that we are unlikely to have colour television for some little time to come but I am as out of order in answering his question as the noble Lord is in asking it.
§ LORD TEVIOTI am very glad to be corrected by the noble Earl. I did not know that we could be out of order in this House!
§ LORD OGMOREMy Lords, may I ask one question, which will be in order. I was not able to catch the names of all the nine stations. Is one to be in Wales? If not, will Wales be served by this new service?
§ EARL DE LA WARRYes, one will be in West Wales.