HC Deb 08 February 1973 vol 850 cc187-8W
Mr. McBride

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications how many television licence holders in Wales pay the £12 licence fee for colour television; and what is the total number of receivers paying the £7 licence fee, in Wales, for monochrome sets.

Sir J. Eden

At 31st December 1972 there were an estimated 124,400 colour and 721.500 monochrome licences in force.

Mr. McBride

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will define the extent of the areas in South Wales able to secure reception of colour television programmes from English based transmitters, such as Mendip and Caradon Hill of BBC1, UHF, colour, 625 line; and what is the percentage of viewers so enabled to secure, in these areas, this programme in colour as expressed against the percentage of Welsh viewers, paying the £12 licence fee, who are unable to receive this programme.

Sir J. Eden

The transmitting stations at Mendip and Caradon Hill are not designed to provide reception in Wales, so no assessment has been made of the areas in Wales where these transmissions can be received and the numbers of Welsh viewers who can receive them.

Mr. McBride

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if it is proposed during the BBC development programme, spread over the next few years, to include in the 500 high power stations to be built, a sufficient number of high powered television stations in Wales, to ensure that viewers with licensed colour television sets will be able to receive BBC Wales and BBC1 in colour.

Sir J. Eden

No. The UHF programme includes 50 high-power and 450 low-power stations. Those which will provide service in Wales will transmit BBC Wales. not BBC1.

Mr. McBride

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications when it is proposed, in addition to the BBC Wales 625-line colour transmission, to make available BBC1 625-line colour transmission of television programmes beamed from Kilvey Hill, Swansea.

Sir J. Eden

The UHF relay station at Kilvey Hill has been designed to transmit BBC Wales, BBC2, ITV Harlech and a fourth, as yet unallocated, channel, all in colour.