§ Mr. Masonasked the Postmaster-General whether he has now issued all the licences for the pay-television experiments; whether final agreements have been concluded regarding the use of relatively new films; when he expects the experiments to start, specifying the estimated starting dates of the companies and their respective areas; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BevinsThere are many arrangements to be made in starting the pay-television experiments, including the production of equipment and, in some cases, the provision of a wire network, and the degree of readiness varies from company to company. I am not yet in a position to give a final list of the areas. Licences will be issued area by area as soon as possible.
Pay-television could start in one area at the beginning of 1965, but it seems unlikely that service in other areas will start much before September of next year.
The detailed text of the conditions for the showing of cinema films is not yet in its final form.