§ Mr. Wallasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the number of citizens band radio sets now in the United Kingdom operating on a 27 MHz frequency.
§ Mr. RaisonI would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to a question by the hon. Member for Bromsgrove and Redditch (Mr. Miller) on 18 December 1980.
§ Mr. Wallasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the countries in which citizens band radio is legal; and which frequency each country allocates to citizens band radio.
§ Mr. RaisonCitizens band radio is not a service which is required to be registered internationally with the International Telecommunication Union. We are, however, aware from our consultations with other 529W Administrations that most countries in Western Europe authorise some form of citizens band radio at frequencies around 27 MHz as do, inter alia, Australia, Canada, the United States of America and Japan. As far as we know, at present only Australia and the United States of America have assigned frequencies for this purpose in additional bands: 476 MHz and eight paired frequencies at 462 and 467 MHz respectively. Both North America and most countries in Western Europe have expressed an intention to introduce an additional facility around 930 MHz in due course.