§ Mr. FisherTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he will take to ensure that companies being awarded cable franchises by the Cable Authority proceed to actual cabling within an agreed time scale.
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§ Mr. MellorThis is primarily a matter for the Cable Authority. There is inevitably some delay between the award of a cable franchise and the subsequent issue of the licences under the Cable and Broadcasting Act 1984 and the Telecommunications Act 1984 which enable the operator to start operations. Before franchise holders can be granted such licences they need to be able to satisfy the Cable Authority and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (who is responsible for the issue of licences under the Telecommunications Act) on a range of matters. I understand that the Cable Authority has recently announced that it will review franchises after one year, with a view to withdrawing them if the holder has not made satisfactory progress in this regard.
Before a Telecommunications Act licence is issued, the cable operator has to agree a schedule for the construction of his system in consultation with the Department of Trade and Industry, the Director General of Telecommunications and the Cable Authority. Monitoring compliance with the Telecommunications Act licence is a matter for the Director General of Telecommunications.
§ Mr. FisherTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish a table showing(a) the list of cable franchises awarded by the Cable Authority, showing the name of the franchise, the successful applicant and the responsibility of the company who has won the franchise, and (b). a list of cable franchises currently on offer by the Cable Authority.
§ Mr. MellorI understand from the Cable Authority that a total of 53 cable franchises have been granted, of which 16 have been licensed by the Cable Authority, and 14 are operational. Copies of the lists requested have been placed in the Library.