§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what contribution the Government have now agreed to make to the EC high-definition television programme; at what rate such funds will be released; which British companies are participating in the present HDTV programme; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. McLoughlinAt the Telecommunications Council on 16 June, agreement was reached on the framework for an action plan to help launch widescreen television services, in both standard and high definition. Under the framework, a community subsidy totalling 228 MECU, about £160 million, will be used over a four-year period to offset up to 50 per cent. of the additional costs to broadcasters and programme makers of producing and broadcasting in the widescreen format; 36 MECU has been allocated under the action plan for 1993. The United Kingdom contribution to the Community subsidy will be calculated on a gross contribution of about 16 per cent., less abatement which would depend on the level of United Kingdom receipts. The rate of disbursement for the remaining years of the plan has yet to be decided. There is no analogous scheme currently in operation. However, there are research and development projects into various aspects of advanced TV technologies, including HDTV. British companies are active in many of these. For example, the BBC, ITV Association, BT Laboratories and National Transcommunications Ltd. have participated in the European collaborative research project which developed a studio standard and transmission system for HDTV.