§ Sir Paul Bryanasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to introduce his proposed legislation on broadcasting.
§ Mr. WhitelawThe present operations of the independent television system are governed by the Independent Broadcasting Authority Act 1973, the Independent Broadcasting Authority Act 1974, the Independent Broadcasting Authority (No. 2) Act 1974 and the Independent Broadcasting Act 1978. I intend to introduce legislation shortly to extend the authority's life beyond 31 December 1981 and to make provision for the fourth channel on the lines foreshadowed in my speech to the Royal Television Society at Cambridge on 12 September. A copy of this speech was placed in the Library of the House on 13 December. This legislation will govern the terms of the contracts which the authtority has with programme874W contractors in the period starting on 1 January 1982.
There is uncertainty in the independent television industry and I have agreed with the chairman of the authority that it will announce its plans for the future shape of the system on 24 January and that this will be followed by invitations to groups to apply for contracts on the new basis then announced, which must inevitably be provisional pending legislation.