§ 44. Mr. Lawlerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards competition in commercial television.
§ Mr. MellorThe Government paved the way for increased competition in commercial television through the new technologies of cable and satellite broadcasting in the Cable and Broadcasting Act 1984. The Peacock committee's emphasis on the expansion of consumer choice is one we share, and we support the committee's view that there should be increased competition in the supply of broadcast programmes through substantially greater use of independent productions. We are still considering other proposals which the committee saw as paving the way for the introduction of a competitive broadcasting market, including the possibility of pay television systems.