§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he envisages that the British Broadcasting Corporation will continue to be responsible for broadcasting the shipping forecasts on the long wave.
§ Mr. RentonIt is for the BBC to decide how best to use the resources (including the radio frequency resources) available to it to carry out its obligations under its Royal charter. Under the Government's proposals for broadcasting legislation the BBC will continue to have allocated to it the national long wave network now used to carry Radio 4. This will therefore continue to be available for shipping forecasts, and I understand that the BBC has no plans to change the present arrangements for broadcasting them.