§ Lord Orr-Ewingasked Her Majesty's Government:
When the draft of the BBC's new Charter and Agreement will be published.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of National Heritage (Lord Inglewood):I have today placed in the Library of the House drafts of the BBC's new Charter and the Agreement between my right honourable friend the Secretary of State and the corporation. The House will have an opportunity to consider these documents in the near future. The BBC's transmission services will be privatised. The BBC will retain the proceeds of sale related to licence-fee funded transmission facilities.
The future costs of transmission will be regulated to ensure that the BBC does not pay more for the services it currently needs and benefits from any productivity savings. This is good news for licence-fee payers.
22WAThe BBC has welcomed these arrangements and said that it will invest the proceeds of sale within the BBC in digital production technology so that it is well placed to reap the benefits of digital broadcasting.
We look forward to a secure long-term future for the BBC's public services within the framework of the proposed new Charter and Agreement.