§ Mr. McCrindleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he has any plans to preclude one person from owning two ITV stations through control of a company which bids successfully for two contracts; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he has any plans to prevent a newspaper group from having an interest in more than one United Kingdom television company; and if he will make a statement;
(3) if he has any plans to prevent a newspaper organisation from holding a stake exceeding 20 per cent. in a United Kingdom television company; and if he will make a statement;
(4) If he has any plans to prevent non-EEC companies from holding a stake exceeding 12 per cent. in a United Kingdom television company; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RentonI refer my hon. Friend to paragraphs 6.48–6.53 of the White Paper, "Broadcasting in the '90s, Competition, Choice and Quality" which set out our proposals for the formulation of rules to prevent the concentration of ownership of television companies. As my right hon. Friend has made clear, the White Paper sets out a range of principles and not a full set of rules. We shall be looking particularly carefully at arguments advanced for limiting newspaper interest in regional Channel 3 licences and for preventing anyone from controlling two large regional Channel 3 franchises. We would welcome any views on the scope and formulation of these rules during the consultation period on the White Paper which ends on 28 February.