§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent figures he has collated on the level of subtitling on(a) BBC1, (b) BBC2, (c) ITV, (d) Channel 4 and (e) Channel 5; and if he will make a statement. [106969]
§ Janet AndersonIt is for the BBC Governors to monitor the levels of subtitling on BBC services and the Independent Television Commission to monitor the levels of subtitling on ITV, GMTV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. The most recent information available from the BBC is that 63 per cent. of BBC1 and 53 per cent. of BBC2 is subtitled. The latest figures available from the ITC, published in the Commission's Annual Report 1998, is that the level of subtitling of programmes in that year was 61 per cent. on ITV; 42 per cent. on GMTV; 60 per cent. on Channel 4; and 27 per cent. on Channel 5.