§ Sir. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in setting standards for direct broadcasting by satellite, he will take into account the case for use by the BBC of the IBA's MAC system, in view of the fact that it is the only British system currently capable of becoming a European standard.
§ Mr. WhitelawAs I indicated in the debate on satellite and cable broadcasting on 20 April, before I decide on the transmission standards to be adopted for our first two DBS channels I intend to seek an independent expert assessment of the BBC's and the IBA's proposals. This will give the opportunity for a careful examination of the European implications.