§ Mr. AllenTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards conditional access at European level.
§ Mr. Ian TaylorThe Government aim to secure early agreement at European level to the necessary technical standards for the development and introduction of digital television. A common position on a directive on standards for the transmission of television signals, reached at the November Telecommunications Council, includes provisions for digital conditional access systems for pay television services, and is now being considered by the European Parliament.
The Government are also following industry discussions on commercial arrangements to underpin the introduction of digital television, including digital conditional access systems. In 1994, discussions in the European digital video broadcasting group led to limited agreement on a voluntary code of conduct to govern access to conditional access systems by broadcasters. Not all broadcasters support the code. Further discussions are taking place. The Government consider that the principal means of regulation for the emerging digital conditional access television market lies in the proper application of the relevant competition law rules at both European and National level.