§ Mr. ThurnhamTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans the Government have for 934 MHz citizens' band radio.
§ Mr. ButcherI am pleased to make such a statement. As the House knows, the Government, in common with other Administrations in Europe, are to consider the introduction of a short range radio (SRR) system in the band 933–935 MHz. One of the existing users of this band is the 934 MHz CB allocation. Approximately 3,000 users have these sets out of a total of over 115,000 CB licensees.
Once SRR becomes widely used, it is inevitable that the CB service will suffer an increasing level of interference and it is important that potential users of the band are aware of this, and that the many potential users of any new SRR service are adequately protected.
642WI have decided therefore that the Performance Specification MPT 1321 to which 934 MHz CB transceivers are manufacturer certified should be withdrawn from 30 December 1988. This will provide warning to traders and potential users alike that no new sets should be made or imported from this date.
It is of course only fair that existing users of the CB band get a good life from their sets. I can assure users that their existing equipment may continue to be used for its foreseeable useful life.