§ Mr. Gurdenasked the Postmaster-General when B.B.C.2 will start in the Midlands; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BevinsThe U.H.F. station at Sutton Coldfield to serve the Midlands, 145W the first station planned to open after London, is one of the eight stations scheduled to open next year. The B.B.C. now tells me, however, that it can, without putting back the start of B.B.C.2 elsewhere, make an earlier start in the Midlands by providing a temporary U.H.F. service from Sutton Coldfield towards the end of this year. This would bring B.B.C.2 to Birmingham some nine months sooner; and I have authorised it to do so. The temporary service will not have as wide a coverage as the final service; but it will bring B.B.C.2 to a large number of people much earlier.