BBC Transmitter Proposal: Bearley (Hansard, 3 July 1984)

§ Lord Kings Norton
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, the inquiry to which the noble Lord's Question refers has been completed, but my right honourable friend the Secretary of State has not yet received the inspector's report. When he has done so and has taken his decision whether or not the development should proceed, the local planning authority will be informed. The report will then be available to anyone who attended the inquiry and asked for a copy.

§ Lord Kings Norton
My Lords, if I understood the Minister correctly, he was saying that the Minister would take a decision before the report was published. If that is so, may I ask him whether he is aware that this will be disconcerting to between 30,000 and 40,000 people living in the area at Bearley and Stratford-upon-Avon because they have grave apprehensions that if this project goes through there will be serious interference with radio reception in the area and that local industry, which has a large number of computerised systems and apparatus, will have them badly affected?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, yes, the noble Lord did understand me correctly. The decision will be made by my right honourable friend before the report is published. This is normal practice in all planning inquiries. The purpose of all inquiries is to consider all matters relating to the development and the objections to it. I have no doubt that the matters referred to by the noble Lord, Lord Kings Norton, and any other pertinent matter will be included in the inspector's report.

§ Lord Boyd-Carpenter
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that the construction of this enormous complex on the edge of one of the loveliest towns in this country, and one of our most valuable tourist attractions, is a matter of national not merely local importance? Will he give an undertaking that the local planning authority will in no circumstances be given permission to go ahead until there has been an opportunity for the matter to be discussed in this House?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
No, my Lords, I am afraid I am not in a position to give that undertaking to my noble friend. The controversial nature of the development and the local feeling about it prompted my right honourable friend to arrange the public local inquiry in the first place, though he is not statutorily bound to do so because this, as I am sure is well known, involves Crown land. There were various technical aspects of the inquiry and my right honourable friend had a technical assessor appointed to sit with the inspector at the inquiry to assist with the evaluation of technical evidence. I therefore have no doubt that the report of the inspector will include, as I said to the noble Lord, Lord Kings Norton, all pertinent matters.

§ Lord Ardwick
My Lords, does the noble Lord recall that on many occasions Members of this House have spoken with high praise of the content of the programmes of the BBC's external services, but have regretted their poor audibility in some important parts of the world? Is the noble Lord aware that some of us are awaiting this decision or the report with great interest on this idea of building a new, powerful transmitter near Stratford-upon-Avon, and that we will not cavil at the additional expense if it is necessary to find an alternative site in the interests of minimising the damage to the environment and the interference with other people's electrical installations?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, while agreeing wholeheartedly with the noble Lord, Lord Ardwick, in his praise of the BBC external services—with which I had some small connection when I was speaking for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office some two years ago—this particular matter is sub judice as all planning inquiries are at this stage in their development. I cannot comment on individual matters such as those raised by the noble Lord.

§ Lord Boyd-Carpenter
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that if his right honourable friend were to give permission to proceed before a debate in Parliament took place he might, as a result of that debate, find himself in some difficulty?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, I will certainly call the attention of my right honourable friend to my noble friend's point.

§ Lord Maude of Stratford-upon-Avon
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that the evidence from both sides presented to this inquiry has been so highly technical that nobody would wonder if the Secretary of State took some time to evaluate it before coming to a decision? But is he also aware that there are two reasons for proceeding as expeditiously as possible 144 with a decision: first, because of the amount of local disquiet about the project; but, secondly, because the erection on some site of this transmitter is a matter of the greatest urgency and it is important, if the decision goes against the Bearley site, that preparations for a new site should be started as quickly as possible?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, I have no doubt that my right honourable friend will consider the points made by my noble friend, and I shall make sure that he has the opportunity so to do.

Lord Chelwood
My Lords, wherever the transmitter is built, is it not widely agreed that the news on the BBC World Service is balanced, impartial and well-informed? Do not many hundreds of thousands of people in this country listen to it regularly? Can my noble friend therefore confirm or deny that after the new transmitter is built this service is likely to be inaudible in many parts of the country? Would that not be very unfair indeed on the British taxpayer who has had to pay the piper?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, as I said to the noble Lord, Lord Ardwick, I have nothing but praise for the BBC's external services. The original reason for starting this transmitter was that the external services of the BBC have a need to be heard more strongly and more widely in certain parts of the world. Again, I will take up the point raised by my noble friend.

§ Lord Rhodes
My Lords, is the Minister aware that during last year 30,000 letters were received by the BBC overseas service from mainland China, and that whatever is decided in terms of the site for this broadcasting station it is essential that we should be getting on with this new station so that we can take advantage of the friendship that is extended to us by the letters?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, I have no doubt that all the points raised this afternoon, including that of the noble Lord, Lord Rhodes, will have been raised during this inquiry. The inspector will report his findings on the matter, and it will be on that report that my right honourable friend the Secretary of State will take a decision.

§ Lord Kings Norton
My Lords, will the noble Lord the Minister ask his right honourable friend, when considering this matter, to consider the other sites which would be equally suitable from the BBC point of view and which, if adopted, would cause interference on a much smaller scale than the Bearley site?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, I fully expect that this, too, will be covered in the inspector's report; but, again, I will bear in mind the noble Lord's point.