§ Mr. Nigel EvansTo ask the President of the Board of Trade when he will publish the report of the stage 3 radio spectrum review committee; and if he will make a statement on the future management of the radio spectrum.
§ Mr. Heseltine[pursuant to his reply, 10 March 1994, c. 336–37]. The consultative document has been published today and I have placed copies in the Library of the House.
The document seeks views on how to manage the spectrum to maximise the economic benefit derived from it while preserving access by the armed forces, the emergency services and the widest range of other users, such as the scientific community and hobbyists. It envisages an extended role for the private sector in planning the spectrum and assigning frequencies, with the Radiocommunications Agency retaining responsibility for a number of core functions that need to be performed by Government.
217WThe document also proposes changes to the basis of charging for access to the spectrum to clarify the choices facing radio users. At present, the licence fees paid by radio users give little incentive to use spectrum efficiently. The development of a secondary market in spectrum access rights and selective auctions would enable the value of the spectrum to be better reflected in pricing and make it easier for new users to gain access to spectrum.