§ Mr. Whiteheadasked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications (1) whether he is satisfied that there will be adequate transmission powers for future broadcasting services in the very high frequency band, with particular reference to rural areas, bearing in mind recommendation 14 of the Administrative Radio Conference of the International Telecommunications Union at Geneva in 1959; and if he will make a statement;
(2) when he proposes to remove nonpublic broadcasting services from the very high frequency band II at frequencies above 97 MHz up to 104 MHz.
§ Sir J. EdenAn administrative radio conference competent to act on recom366W mendation 14 is unlikely to be convened in the near future. The current international radio regulations allocate the 100–108 MHz frequency band to fixed or mobile services over the whole of USSR and Europe with the exception of nine European countries, not including the United Kingdom, where the band is allocated in part to broadcasting. The regulations allocate the band 95–100 MHz in the United Kingdom equally to broadcasting and to fixed and land mobile services. The 97.6–100 MHz band is assigned within the United Kingdom to police and fire services, which have occupied the band for many years. There can be no question of removing these essential services until suitable alternative frequencies can be found for them and arrangements have been made for the transition. These are matters under study, but there is sufficient frequency space already available in this part of the spectrum to meet all foreseen broadcasting needs in the meantime.