§ Mr. Cartwrightasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many representations he has received following the publication of the third report of the local radio working party; and how many of these supported the allocation of very high frequencies to community radio stations;
(2) how many representations he has received supporting the allocation of very high frequencies to Radio Thamesmead and Greenwich Sound community radio stations;
(3) when he expects to make a decision about the experimental allocation of very high frequencies to selected community radio stations; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WhitelawThe third report of the local radio working party, which was published last December, contained recommendations for the expansion of BBC and independent local radio. It also examined in a preliminary way some of the issues involved in proposals for community radio, including the broadcasting policy issues and the question of frequencies. The report suggested that, if the Government wished to pursue the possibilty of community radio, further thoughts should be given to the question of a suitable regulatory framework and that this should be clarified before any experiments were set up.
I have received over 500 representations and four petitions following the publication of the third report of the Home Office local radio working party in December. About 240 of the representations and the four petitions were in favour of some form of community radio development. Most expressed support for the allocation of frequencies to experimental community cable radio services. Until the replies have been analysed in detail I cannot say how many of the representations dealt with the specific question of the allocation of very high frequencies to community radio stations.
I have received from Radio Thamesmead a petition with over 1,600 signatures in support of its application for a VHF allocation and a petition with over 3,800 signatures together with 34 letters indicating support for the allocation of a VHF frequency to Greenwich Sound.
I am now considering the recommendations in the working party's third report in the light of the comments I have received, but I am not yet in a position to say when I shall announce my decisions.