Radio Investigation Service (Hansard, 26 July 1985)

§ Mr. Pattie

The review of the radio investigation service has now been completed and the consequent action 793W document has been agreed. The review was thorough and detailed—containing 128 separate recommendations. A copy is being placed in the Library of both Houses.

The recommendations have been almost entirely accepted, a few with minor qualifications. Many of the recommendations on improving procedure and management control have already been implemented and action on the balance is well under way. A few which had broad application outside the RIS have been taken up in wider reviews of specific aspects of the work of the radio regulatory division of the Department of Trade and Industry. These relate to the organisation of international work and the division's outstations.

I am glad to say that as a result of the changes recommended more resources will be devoted to dealing with pollution of the radio spectrum by those who operate without licences and those who abuse their licence conditions. The staff of the RIS have already begun to step up enforcement action in this field and much more will follow. I strongly urge all those who may currently be operating without a licence or without proper regard to their licence conditions to put their position right as soon as possible. The penalties are severe and it is often necessary to seize and obtain equipment as evidence for prosecution. Moreover the penalty may not be of a once and for all nature. We do revoke the licences of people who persistently cause a nuisance to other radio users.

This increased enforcement activity will be undertaken by a RIS staff of 240 compared with 340 before the Department took over the running of the RIS. The reduction has been largely managed by recruiting only selectively to replace staff who elected to stay with BT and by natural wastage. The switch in resources to enforcement will be achieved by a phased withdrawal from the time-consuming and largely fruitless effort currently put into dealing with domestic TV and radio reception problems. The majority of cases of this sort dealt with by the RIS involve sets lacking adequate immunity, improperly tuned or maintained sets or are cases where an external aerial is lacking or of poor quality or where the reception problems are so intermittent as not to be observed by the RIS. In none of these cases can the RIS effect a cure although they can sometimes tell the complainant what his problem is and how it could be cured. Often people have had to wait many weeks for a visit an they are understandably unhappy when told that fault lies with their equipment an that they need to contact their dealer, manufacturer or service engineer.

The review committee recommends a number of steps to deal with the issue and I have decided as follows:

1. The Department will publish a comprehensive booklet with full colour illustrations enabling most people to carry out simply and safe diagnosis of their domestic TV or radio reception problems. There will be a technical section for TV dealers and repairers. The booklet will be available from post offices in about three weeks time.
2. BS 905 which provides minimum immunity standards for TV will be incorporated in legally binding regulations as soon as possible. This will make it an offence to sell, manufacture, or import TVs which do not comply with the standard.
3. With immediate effect a call-out charge of £21 will have to be paid before the RIS will pay a visit to diagnose the cause of domestic TV or radio reception problems. Requests received by post bearing a postmark of today's date or earlier will not attract this charge.
4. In addition visits will not be made unless the apparatus has an external aerial and a log of reception problems has been 794 completed as required by the existing form used when requesting a visit from the RIS. A revised version of this form will be included with the new booklet.
5. I propose to copy the names and addresses of all those seeking assistance with TV reception problems to the National TV Licence and Record Office; I do not believe that any set-vice at all should be offered to those who pay no licence fee.
6. With effect from 1 Janaury 1987 the RIS will only pay a visit to deal with domestic TV and radio reception problems when such a visit can be combined with other journeys and a dealer has provided a written report stating that he has been unable to effect a remedy.
7. With effect from 1 January 1988 (or one year after regulations have been made on BS 905) the RIS will only visit to diagnose reception problems caused to sets which comply with that standard.
8. With immediate effect, all business and service users will be charged a commercial rate for RIS advice and remedial work on their radio communications systems other than that related to RIS enforcement responsibilities.

In the short time the RIS has been incorporated in the Department I have been impressed by the vigour and efficiency the staff has shown in cleaning up the airwaves on a number of radio bands. I am confident that they will soon have a significant impact on the problems experienced by business users of radio.

I also believe that the best interests of the domestic users of TV and radio will be served by making available the new booklet which will help them diagnose their problems and by handing over this category of work to the private sector where it belongs. I hope that TV and radio repair businesses and manufacturers will take up the opportunity to provide an improved service to the consumer. My officials will be discussing this with appropriate trade organisations.

The RIS will be happy to organise training sessions to the trade on TV and radio reception problems when there is any significant demand.