§ Mr. Roderickasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Crawford Report will be published; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsThe report of the Committee on Broadcasting coverage is being published today. I should like to record my deep appreciation of the work that Sir Stewart Crawford and his committee have done in producing the report.
The report is being made available now in fulfilment of the undertakings given by this Government. While the greater part of the report will fall to the Annan Committee to consider, the Government undertook to deal in advance with those issues which were capable of being treated in this way.
There are two main issues of this sort. The first is that in all parts of the country the extension of UHF coverage should take first priority as regards television development. The Government accept this recommendation.
The second is the recommendation, which the Government also accept in principle, that the fourth television channel in Wales should be allotted to a separate service in which Welsh language should be introduced without waiting for a decision on the use of the fourth channel as a whole. The report recommends that the service should be provided on a joint basis by the BBC and HTV and that a Government subsidy should be considered. It will be necessary to discuss with the broadcasting authorities how a fourth channel in Wales would be jointly operated, how much it would cost, how long it would take to establish, and what impact it would have on the provision of other television services.
I am setting up a working party under an independent chairman, including representatives of the broadcasting authorities, to make proposals on these matters in about three months. I shall be announcing the chairman of the working party shortly.