§ Rev. Martin SmythTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy for allowing freedom to programme makers who adhere to standards of decency.
§ Mr. WaddingtonProgramme makers have freedom to choose their material within the statutory framework for broadcasting, part of which makes it clear that broadcasters have a responsibility to ensure that nothing is included in their programmes which offends against good taste and decency.
§ Rev. Martin SmythTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy for ensuring that there are proper controls over broadcasts.
§ Mr. WaddingtonControls are in place through the Broadcasting Act 1981 in the case of independent television and radio, through the Cable and Broadcasting Act 1984 in the case of cable and satellite broadcasting, and in the case of services provided by the BBC through its royal charter, licence and agreement. In addition, the Government propose in the Broadcasting Bill to put the Broadcasting Standards Council on a statutory footing.
§ Rev. Martin SmythTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on access to broadcasting by Christian organisations.
§ Mr. WaddingtonWe are proposing that religious groups, including Christian groups, should be allowed to run independent radio stations provided that they observe the content requirements envisaged in paragraph 7.7 of the Green Paper "Radio: Choices and Opportunities" (February 1987, Cm. 92).
Religious groups will continue to be disqualified from holding licences to run television services. But there is no reason why programmes dealing with religious matters should not continue to be broadcast and indeed proliferate on television, subject to their observing the content requirements set out in paragraph 6.10 of the White Paper "Broadcasting in the '90s: Competition, Choice and Quality" (November 1988, Cm. 517).
§ The Rev. Martin SmythTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has reveived from organisations and individuals in Northern Ireland about the Government's proposed Broadcasting Bill.
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§ Mr. WaddingtonMy right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr. Hurd) placed in the Library on 21 April a list of the main organisations which submitted comments on the White Paper (as indicated in a reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Westminster, North (Mr. Wheeler) at column342). A number of these submissions were from organisations in Northern Ireland. In addition, a number of comments have been received from viewers and listeners in Northern Ireland.