§ Mr. Stephen Rossasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) it he will list in the Official Report which radio frequencies, on all wavelengths, were allocated to Great Britain for broadcasting purposes by the conference of the International Telecommunications Union in Copenhagen in 1948; what changes have been made to this allocation since that time; and what the position will be from 1978 as a result of the recent agreement reached in Geneva;
(2) if he will explain why Great Britain will have a smaller share of the medium-wave band in 1978 than it had in 1948; and if he believes that the BBC will be able to operate satisfactorily under the new conditions;
(3) if he is satisfied, as a result of the recent agreement reached in Geneva on the international allocation of radio frequencies, that Great Britain has secured a sufficiently large allocation of frequencies to allow for the possible future expansion of local radio stations including commercial radio stations;
(4) if he is satisfied with the recent agreement reached in Geneva on the future allocation of radio frequencies; if his Department has reached a decision as to whether they will recommend ratification of the agreement or not; and when he expects the matter to be brought before this House for discussion;
(5) what representations he received from interested organisations prior to his Department making a submission to the International Frequency Registration Board; what were the views of these 849W organisations; and what account was taken of them in the final negotiations in Geneva;
(6) if, in the recent negotiations on a reallocation of radio frequencies for the decade after 1978, his Department applied for an increase in Great Britain's allocation; and if this compared with the submissions of the other members of C.e.p.t. as well as other countries involved in these negotiations.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsThe BBC will not have a smaller share of the medium frequency band under the Plan produced at the recent LF/MF Conference in Geneva. This and the other matters raised in these Questions will be among the matters with which I shall deal more fully in the statement which, as I have made clear in answer to another Question from the hon. Member, I intend to make on this subject after the recess.
§ Mr. Stephen Rossasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his Department consulted Manx Radio and the Isle of Man authorities before making their submissions to the International Frequency Registration Board this summer; what were the views of these organisations; and what account was taken of them during the subsequent negotiations.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsThere was consultation with the Isle of Man Government as to the requirements of Manx Radio. The frequency requirements and the result of the negotiations are matters which will be covered in the statement which I intend to make after the recess.