§ Mr. GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the cost to the tourism industry of the proposed increase in employers' national insurance contributions. [52757]
§ Dr. Howells[holding answer 29 April 2002]: It is estimated that the changes to employers' national insurance contributions announced in the Budget will increase pay costs on average by 0.7 per cent next year.
Homes covered (per cent) BBC Multiplex Digital 3 & 4 Multiplex Multiplex A Multiplex B Multiplex C Multiplex D Core UK (Current) 81 80 78 79 76 74 68 Scotland (Launch) 84 83 82 81 82 80 78 Wales (Launch) 62 60 62 59 55 55 42 Northern Ireland (Launch) 72 72 64 66 72 58 57 Figures provided by the Independent Television Commission (comparable information for the English regions is not available).
I understand from the Independent Television Commission that Digital Terrestrial Television signals from the Winter Hill, Sheffield, Chesterfield, and Emley Moor transmitters are predicted to be available to some areas of the High Peak constituency. Coverage maps are available on the Digital Television Group website: www.dtg.org.uk.
§ Mr. LevittTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures the Government will take to ensure that the quality of the analogue signal is maintained during digital roll-out; and if she will make a statement. [54618]
§ Dr. HowellsThe Government are committed to ensuring that terrestrial analogue signals will be maintained until everyone who can currently get the main public service broadcasting channels in analogue form can receive them on digital systems. The Independent Television Commission (ITC) require that any changes made by the broadcasters to the digital terrestrial television transmitter network conform with the ITC Code of Practice on Changes to Transmission and Reception Arrangements. This requires the continued reception of analogue services, to an acceptable technical quality, to those viewers affected by digital terrestrial services.