§ Mr. TimmsTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress he has made in releasing two bands of 5 MHz in the 410–430 MHz band for civilian use; and if he will make a statement. [14344]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 14 October 1996,Official Report, column 782, which should have made it clear that discussions between MOD and the Radiocommunications Agency, DTI identified channels on two bands of 5 MHz in the 410–430 MHz band that can be made available for civilian use by 1997. A large number of channels in the 410–430 MHz band have been released by MOD.
As recognised in the radio spectrum review stage 3 report, there are military systems in the band 410–430 MHz, which cannot be given up or whose frequencies cannot readily be changed. This being the case there is no possibility, at present, of the complete release of all channels within two bands of 5 MHz in the 410–430 MHz band.