§ Mr. Chris SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he intends to apply to the content of British broadcasting media the principle embodied in Her Majesty's Government's documentation for the Helsinki states information forum that the free flow of information both within countries and across frontiers is seen by the West as an integral part of human rights provisions.
§ Mr. RentonThe principle of the free exchange of information and ideas, guaranteed by article 10 of the European convention on human rights, is central to our broadcasting policy. We have played an active part in the preparation of the Council of Europe's convention on transfrontier television, which we hope will be opened for signature next month and which we plan to implement through the forthcoming Broadcasting Bill. The convention is designed to encourage the transfrontier circulation of television programme services on the basis of a number of commonly agreed basic standards. As our White Paper "Broadcasting in the 90's: Competition Choice and Quality" makes clear, the development of European regulatory instruments of this kind is consistent with the approach of the Government towards domestic broadcasting services in establishing an enabling regulatory framework to allow increased opportunities for broadcasters and viewers, while ensuring the maintenance of satisfactory programme standards.