§ Sir David MitchellTo ask the Lord President of the Council when the current sound recording and amplification systems used both in the Chamber and for outside broadcasts were installed; and whether he has any plans to modernise them.
§ Sir Geoffrey HoweI understand that the present sound system in the Chamber, including both the microphones and the amplifiers in the Benches, were originally installed in 1951, although significant modifications were made in 1970–71.
As regards any possible further modification or modernisation of the system, I refer my hon. Friend to the first report of the Select Committee on Televising of Proceedings of the House (HC 265-I), which was published on Wednesday 11 July. The report contains a section addressing directly the point raised by my hon. Friend.