§ Sir Dudley Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what role his Department played in the 483W recent Council of Europe conference on mass media policy in Vienna; what implications arose for the United Kingdom; what resolutions were adopted; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Murphyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the outcome of the conference of European Ministers on mass media policy.
§ Mr. Mellor[pursuant to his reply, 12 December 1986]: I represented the United Kingdom at the conference and Home Office officials played a full part in its preparation through the mass media committees of the Council of Europe. The conference adopted two resolutions: on the promotion of European audiovisual production and on public and private broadcasting. The major decision of the conference, the terms of which were proposed by the United Kingdom, was to agree the rapid preparation of a binding convention on transfrontier broadcasting, building on existing Council of Europe instruments. Home Office officials will also play a full part in that work, which I hope can be completed speedily. European broadcasting Ministers agreed to meet again in a second conference in Stockholm in 1988.