Sound System (Hansard, 23 April 1990)

§ Sir Geoffrey Howe

During recent months, I have received a number of representations from hon. and right hon. Members about the quality of the sound in the Chamber and the matter has also been raised several times on the Floor of the House.

The sound system in the Chamber has been under review for the last 10 years, originally under the aegis of the former Sound Broadcasting Committee. The Select Committee on Televising of Proceedings of the House inherited the responsibilities of the Sound Broadcasting Committee and has continued to keep the issue under active consideration. When the Select Committee came into being in 1988 it was decided that, although there might be doubts about the efficiency of the sound system, there should be no attempt to make significant changes either for or during the television experiment. The sound system in the Chamber at present is, therefore, almost exactly the same and works under exactly the same system of operation as it has done for more than five years.

There were complaints earlier this year that micro-phones at the Dispatch Box were not providing a good signal of the Front-Bench speakers. A series of experiments were undertaken with different microphones at the Dispatch Box and new placings of the microphones above the Government and Opposition Front-Bench speakers. The present microphones and their placings,

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designed to overcome the loss of audibility when Front-Bench speakers turn to address Members behind them, provide the best combination so far.

There have also been complaints about the quality of reception in the small loudspeakers in the back of the Benches. The level of amplification has not, as had been suggested, been lowered to suit the demands of broadcasting. In fact the level of sound has been raised as far as possible without causing feedback but it is clear that some Members still have difficulty in hearing when there is a lot of noise in the Chamber. During the Easter recess, therefore, an inspection was carried out with the support of the BBC research department to evaluate the extent to which the existing amplification equipment is performing to its original specifications and to identify possible alternative systems for later tests.

This work is part of a study being undertaken by a working party under the chairmanship of the supervisor of broadcasting. The working party is examining the technical options for the modernisation or replacement of the sound system. In addition, Mr. Richard Wright, head of sound operations for news and current affairs at the BBC, has been appointed as a specialist adviser to the Select Committee and will also assist the working party in its deliberations. The working party will report to the Chairman of the Select Committee by early June. As a separate issue, the working party will also address the question of sound quality in Committee Rooms.

However, the general conclusion likely to be reached is that the sound system, which was installed several decades ago, is unlikely to have an effective life beyond the next five 35W years. Given the inevitably long lead-time associated with drawing up the specifications and costings for a new system, and with approval by the House and installation, it is vital that work should begin now.

The first practical steps towards identifying the tecnnical options have already been taken, with the recent installation on the Opposition side of the Chamber of a single new type of smaller "capacitator" microphone. This has produced good results in terms of audibility, although a problem of reduced physical stability needs further work.

It is, however, important to stress that the constraints of the layout and architecture of the Chamber will always limit the scope for improvement in audibility. The simultaneous requirement for the House to be able to hear the Member with the Floor speaking at a normal volume, whilst avoiding undue distraction from the inevitable background noise in a lively debating Chamber, is likely to stretch even the most up-to-date technology to its limits. When the House is very noisy only a system of individual microphones and individual hearing aids would be able to cope; and this, it has always been understood, would be unacceptable to the House.

The overriding concern of the Select Committee will be to ensure that the House is equipped with as efficient a system of sound reinforcement as possible, subject only to the practical constraints I have outlined.