§ Lord Orr-Ewingasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether in issuing new telecommunications licences they will impose restrictions on companies' competitive activities to 3 per cent. of its market as laid down in the Mercury licence dated February 1982, and if so why.
§ The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Lord Cockfield)The Government have no plans to impose any restrictions on the maximum revenues earned by telecommunications operators. The Mercury licence imposes a temporary upper limit on Mercury's revenues in the period up to 1986. It has long been recognised that Mercury will need a new licence as soon as the Telecommunications Bill becomes law. The new licence, which will be similar to the licence granted to British Telecom, will impose no restrictions on Mercury's revenues.