§ Lord AYLESTONEMy 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 will now approve the setting up of an independent local radio station to serve Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, thus bringing that city into line with London, Edinburgh and Belfast.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, HOME OFFICE (Lord Harris of Greenwich)My Lords, the Government do not think it would be right to authorise any further local radio stations while the Committee on the Future of Broadcasting under the chairmanship of the noble Lord, Lord Annan, is still sitting, since the future of independent local radio is one of the matters which that Committee has under review.
§ Lord AYLESTONEMy Lords, is the noble Lord the Minister aware that there were 20 planned stations when the Government guillotine fell at 19? Is he aware that the 20th station would have been at Cardiff? If before the Committee of the noble Lord, Lord Annan, reports they could consider one exception in Cardiff, independent local radio would then be equated with the BBC, who have 20 stations. I should think this would bring some pleasure to the constituents of Mr. Speaker of another place, and of the Prime Minister.
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHMy Lords, on the latter point, I think we would all go to considerable lengths to keep content the constituents of my right honourable friend the Prime Minister and of Mr. Speaker. I think the answer to 121 the first point made by my noble friend, if he will forgive my saying so, is that the Government did not bring down the guillotine on the figure 19. When the Government came into office the agreed figure was 13. The Government agreed to increase that number to 19. That was done. We do not think it is appropriate to increase that number further at the moment, because at the beginning of next year we hope to have the report of the Committee headed by the noble Lord, Lord Annan, and that Committee will determine what will be the future of broadcasting in this country.
§ Lord AYLESTONEMy Lords, can my noble friend say when the Annan Committee Report may be expected?
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHMy Lords, I hope early next year.
§ Lord MAELORMy Lords, can the Minister tell me when we can hope to have a Welsh language TV service in Wales?
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHMy Lords, as I hardly need to tell my noble friend, that is a slightly different question. As my noble friend is aware, a committee of inquiry went into this point, but the Government, with regret, came to the conclusion that in the present national financial climate, this service could not take priority. Certainly we are well aware of the need for such a service.
§ Lord WYNNE-JONESMy Lords, does my noble friend mean that Her Majesty's Government do not consider that Wales is even 5 per cent. as important as the rest of the country?
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHMy Lords, indeed we do not take that view. First of all, there is already another independent radio station in Wales, in Swansea. As I indicated in my answer to the first question, the position is simply this: we are to have a report within 12 months from the committee of inquiry headed by the noble Lord, Lord Annan. Until we receive that report it seems to be wholly inappropriate to authorise any more independant radio stations.
§ Lord LEATHERLANDMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that if a Welsh language programme were put on in Wales most of the people there would not be able to understand it?
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHMy Lords, it is necessary to be cautious in answering questions of this kind. All I would say is that there are also, I suspect, a number of English-speaking people in Wales who, for rather different reasons, would also welcome a fourth channel in Wales.
§ Lord MAELORMy Lords, the Minister will remember, too, that the whole of Britain at one time spoke Welsh.