§ Mr. HaselhurstTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to give his approval for the establishment of a network of independent local radio stations.
§ Mr. RentonLocal radio services are already provided by the IBA under the Broadcasting Act 1981. Earlier this year we published a Green Paper "Radio: Choices and Opportunities" which outlined proposals for legislation under which these services would be more lightly regulated and additional local or community stations would be licensed. We shall make an announcement about legislation shortly when we have completed our consideration of responses to the Green Paper.