§ 2.39 p.m.
THE LORD BISHOP OF DURHAMMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware that broadcasts from the Durham Constabulary Radio Network continue to interfere seriously with the reception of B.B.C. Radio Durham throughout the whole area of the county, and that this interference constitutes a serious obstacle to the station's progress, and whether they can inform the House of what steps have been taken to solve this problem, what yet remains to be done and when it is likely that the difficulties will be overcome.]
§ BARONESS LLEWELYN-DAVIES OF HASTOEMy Lords, my right honourable friend much regrets the interference in question. I understand that new frequencies will be brought into use by the radio network of the Durham Constabularly within the next month or so and that the interference will then cease.
THE LORD BISHOP OF DURHAMMy Lords, while thanking the noble Baroness for her informative Answer, especially as I believe it is her first Answer in your Lordships' House, may I ask this question? Since the phrase "during the next two months", or "during the next month or so" has been familiar currency in County Durham for a very long time, can the noble Baroness say whether Her Majesty's Government can guarantee that the change will have been made by May 18? Also, I wonder whether the noble Baroness agrees that it was initially a major blunder on someone's part to allocate to Radio Durham a frequency virtually the same as that of the local police radio, and certainly one that it is impossible ever to separate on 686 an ordinary V.H.F. set costing something in the region of £20?
§ BARONESS LLEWELYN-DAVIES OF HASTOEMy Lords, I can give the right reverend Prelate the guarantee for which he asks. The change will undoubtedly be confirmed and completed before the date which he mentioned. With reference to the particular frequency selected, I may say that the network of the Constabulary was separated by 350,000 cycles from that of the local radio, and this ought to have been sufficient. In fact, as the right reverend Prelate will know, this was an experiment and we have learned a great deal from it. I think there will be no further difficulties on this station in the future.
§ SEVERAL NOBLE LORDS: No!
THE LORD BISHOP OF DURHAMMy Lords, may I suggest that the person who paid for the experiment was in fact the consumer?
§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (LORD SHACKLETON)My Lords, I do not know whether the right reverend Prelate wishes to ask a question, but he cannot just "suggest" something.