§ 119 Mr. John H. Osbornasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about independent local radio for South Yorkshire.
§ Mr. WhitelawFollowing the IBA's proposals in the third report of the local radio working party, there was public support for an additional independent local radio service in Doncaster. However, the provision of a service for Doncaster could have implications for other approved ILR development in the area, in particular the ILR service for Barnsley which I approved following publication of the working party's second report. I therefore asked the IBA, as I announced on 14 July 1981 in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for East Grinstead, (Sir G. Johnson Smith) to look at the development of ILR in South Yorkshire as a whole.
After further local consultations the IBA has submitted to me the following revised proposals, which I have approved. The IBA has re-examined the viability of a station serving Barnsley alone; and it has concluded that the proposed Barnsley service should be included with ILR for Sheffield and Rotherham. This addition to the Sheffield and Rotherham francise will be made when that contract is readvertised. Doncaster, and Bassetlaw with parts of Boothferry, will be advertised as a separate service; but it will be open to applicants for the Doncaster franchise to propose some form of association with Sheffield and Rotherham/Barnsley, either as a separate but associated contract, or as a composite ILR service.