HC Deb 11 July 1989 vol 156 cc424-6W
Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a table showing(a) how many cable franchises have been granted, (b) which communities they serve, (c) how many cable franchises are switched on, (d) which communities they serve, (e) the estimated subscribers in each case and (f) whether interactive services are provided.

Mr. Renton

I understand from the cable authority that a total of 41 cable franchises have been granted, of which 16 have been licensed by the cable authority, and 11 of which are operational. A further 30 franchises have been advertised by the authority. The granting of a cable franchise has no standing in law. It is simply an indication that the cable authority intends to award a licence under the Cable and Broadcasting Act 1984 to the franchise holder provided it meets certain conditions.

Franchises granted but licence not yet awarded

  • Andover (IVS Enterprises)
  • Barking, Dagenham, Bexley, Redbridge (East London Telecoms Ltd.)
  • Barnet, Brent, Hammersmith and Fulham (City Centre Comms Ltd.)
  • Birmingham and Solihull (Birmingham Cable Ltd.)
  • Bolton (Bolton Telecable Ltd.)
  • Bristol, Bath, Weston Super Mare etc. (West Country Cable Ltd.)
  • Cambridge, Ely, Huntingdon, Newmarket etc. (Cambridge Cable Ltd.)
  • Cardiff and Penarth (British Cable Services Ltd.)
  • Chatham, Gravesend, Maidstone etc. (South Estuary Cable Ltd.)
  • Cheltenham and Gloucester (Cotswold Cable Ltd.)
  • Crawley, Horley and Gatwick Airport (Mid Downs Cable Ltd.)
  • Cumbernauld, Kilsyth, Airdale and Coatbridge (Cable North Ltd.)
  • Dumbarton and the Vale of Leven (Cable North Ltd.)
  • East Lancashire (East Lancashire Cablevision)
  • Edinburgh (Cablevision Scotland plc)
  • Greenwich and Lewisham (South East London Cable Co. Ltd.)
  • Kingston and Richmond (United Cable Television (London South) plc)
  • Lambeth and Southwark (Lambeth and Southwark Cable Ltd.)
  • Merton and Sutton (United Cable Television (London South) plc)
  • Motherwell, Hamilton, East Kilbride etc. (Cable North Ltd.)
  • Northampton (Cable Television Ltd.)
  • Preston, Chorley and Leyland (Lancashire Cable Ltd.)
  • Reading, Basingstoke, Bracknell etc. (Cable Thames Valley Ltd.)
  • Southend, Brentwood, Chelmsford etc. (North Estuary Cable Ltd.)
    • 425
  • Wandsworth (Wandsworth Cable Ltd.)

Licensed Cable Franchises

  • *Aberdeen (Aberdeen Cable Services Ltd.)
  • Belfast (Ulster Cablevision)
  • *Camden (Cable Camden Ltd.) (pilot scheme only)
  • *Coventry (Coventry Cable Ltd.)
  • *Croydon (United Cable Television (London South) plc)
  • *Ealing (Cabletel Communications Ltd.)
  • *Glasgow (Clyde Cablevision Ltd.)
  • *Guildford, West Surrey and East Hants (British Cable Services Ltd.)
  • Kingston and Chelsea (City Centre Communications)
  • Luton and South Bedfordshire (Cablevision Bedfordshire Ltd.)
  • *Newham and Tower Hamlets (East London Telecommunications Ltd.)
  • *Slough, Windsor, Maidenhead etc. (Windsor Television Ltd.)
  • Southampton and Eastleigh (Southampton Cable Ltd.)
  • South Liverpool (Merseyside Cablevision Ltd.)
  • *Swindon (Swindon Cable Ltd.)
  • *Westminster (Westminster Cable Co.)
  • *Operational system

I understand that about 66,000 households are connected to broadband cable systems. The figures for individual cable systems are commercially confidential.

Interactive Services

  • Windsor Television, Cable Camden and East London

Name Dates of service with the Serious Crimes Squad
Detective Chief Inspector (later Detective Superintendent) Moore 1 April 1974 to 9 February 1975
25 December 1979 to 21 November 1982
Detective Superintendent Kelly 13 May 1974 to 9 January 1977
Detective Superintendent Watson 14 October 1974 to 9 January 1977
Detective Sergeant Hornby 14 August 1973 to date
Sergeant Langford no service with the Squad
Detective Chief Inspector Ball 1 February 1977 to 22 January 1978
Detective Constable French 10 June 1974 to 5 February 1978
Detective Constable Brand 13 May 1974 to 7 May 1984
Detective Sergeant (now Chief Inspector) Bunn no service with the Squad
Detective Sergeant (now DCI Bennett) 1968 – 1976
1988 to date
Detective Constable Buxton no service with the Squad
Detective Sergeant (now Superintendent) Millichamp 8 September 1970 to 31 October 1971
Detective Constable Sutcliffe 6 January 1969 to 28 October 1979
Detective Constable Woodwiss no service with the Squad
Detective Sergeant (now DCI) Morris no service with the Squad

Mr. Mullin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of the west midlands as to whether Detective Sergeant Brian Morton was in Queen's road police station when the six men convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings were being interviewed.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

I understand from the chief constable of the West Midlands police that general records that would show the whereabouts of officers are destroyed after seven years. The information requested is therefore not available.

  • Telecommunication offer an alternative telephone service.
  • Westminster Cable offers areas to Prestel and also, for some subscribers, remote access to a videodisc library.