HC Deb 28 November 1988 vol 142 cc72-4W
Mr. Wray

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what national and international measures he is seeking to guarantee that television companies and the interests they represent will not interfere in the free and open political process once companies are allowed to transmit their programmes from other countries into the United Kingdom;

(2) what international agreements Her Majesty's Government are seeking to enter into for the safeguarding of the quality, standards and balance of the variety of television programmes once satellite and other television systems produced or broadcast from abroad are allowed into the United Kingdom.

Mr. Renton

We hope that, following the successful outcome of a conference of Council of Europe Broadcasting Ministers in Stockholm last week which I attended, it will be possible within the next two or three months to finalise work on a draft Council of Europe convention on transfrontier television. This will establish a European code of minimum standards for transfrontier services, whether transmitted terrestrially or by satellite or cable, covering both programme content and advertising. The convention will ensure that programmes meet certain fundamental requirements on matters such as taste, decency, objectivity and balance. Discussions are also continuing in the European Community on a draft directive on broadcasting which is intended to provide a limited harmonisation of member states' law on advertising, the protection of children and copyright in the broadcasting field. It will remain open to individual countries to impose on their own broadcasters stricter requirements than those contained in the convention of directive if they so choose, and we have recently set out our own proposals for future broadcasting legislation in our White Paper "Broadcasting in the 90s: Competition, Choice and Quality."

Mr. Wray

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list all the representatives of(a) television viewers' associations, (b) education authorities, (c) experts and (d) members of unions representing television workers, consulted by his Department prior to the publication of his White Paper on broadcasting;

(2) if he will list all the Scottish journalists, broadcasters, producers, entertainers, presenters and administrators with experience in television consulted by him prior to the publication of his White Paper on broadcasting.

Mr. Renton

The development of the proposals in the White Paper was informed by the many representations received and by the lively public debate on broadcasting matters. Representatives of the groups mentioned, including those involved in broadcasting in Scotland, have played an important part in this process. The Government would welcome any comments on its proposals by 28 February 1989.

Mr. Wray

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what specific research was carried out and information gathered by his Department regarding the comparative standards and quality of the present television systems of Australia, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United States of America and the United Kingdom, prior to the publication of his White Paper on broadcasting.

Mr. Renton

I made visits to the United States, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Federal Republic of Germany specifically to study the broadcasting systems in those countries. During the visits I had discussions with broadcasters and others about the nature of the services provided and the arrangements concerning the quality and standards of programming. More generally, we have kept in touch with developments in other countries through bilateral contacts, discussions in for a such as the Council of Europe and the European Communities, and by studying the available relevant material.