HC Deb 08 December 1997 vol 302 c468W
Mr. Levitt

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will take steps to ensure that the agreed levels of subtitling and sign language inserts that will apply to terrestrial television over the next 10 years will apply equally to United Kingdom providers of satellite and cable television service. [18788]

Mr. Chris Smith

Channel 3 and 5 licensees are required to meet targets set out in the Broadcasting Act 1990 for the provision of subtitling. The BBC, Channel 4 and S4C, in pursuit of their public service commitments, aim to provide a similar amount of subtitling. Digital terrestrial television programme service licensees will be required to meet the subtitling and signing targets set under the Broadcasting Act 1996.

There are no statutory subtitling or signing targets for cable and satellite broadcasters. I am nevertheless keen that cable and satellite channels should provide more subtitling and sign language services. I am therefore asking them what plans they have to make their services more accessible in the future.

Mr. Levitt

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of television football coverage is supplemented with live subtitling on(a) terrestrial and (b) satellite television stations. [18789]

Mr. Chris Smith

From 1 January-2 November 1997, the BBC provided live subtitling for 63.25 per cent. of its network football coverage. I understand from the Independent Television Commission that during the same period, the ITV Network subtitled all its live coverage of football matches. Neither Channel 4, Channel 5 nor, as far as the Commission are aware, any satellite television services provided any live subtitling of football coverage.

Mrs. May

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to extend to satellite television channels the obligations regarding subtitling set out in the Broadcasting Acts. [19563]

Mr. Chris Smith

I have no plans (and no current powers) to extend the statutory subtitling targets for subtitling to satellite broadcasters, but I am, nevertheless, keen that satellite channels should provide more subtitling services. I am therefore asking them what plans they have to make their services more accessible in the future to viewers with hearing difficulties.