§ Mr. Charles Morrisonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce the establishment of a local radio station to cover the areas of the Thamesdown borough council and the Kennet district council.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesI announced my approval in principle for the locations of 18 new stations in the first phase of local radio expansion on 24th October.—[Vol. 955, c. 861–2.] The Home Office local radio working party is continuing its consideration of the future development of local radio to fulfil the Government's intention that local radio should be brought to as much of the population of the United Kingdom as possible as soon as possible. The working party will publish reports on the possibilities from time to time and I will reach decisions on the working party's proposals in the light of comments from the public and after such further consultation with the BBC and the IBA as may be necessary.
I hope to be in a position to announce the locations of further new local radio stations in the course of 1979.