Viscount Astorasked Her Majesty's Government:
What representations have Ministers at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport received from channel providers on the Independent Television Commission's (ITC's) proposals to abolish minimum carriage requirements and tiering obligations in the pay television retail market; how many responses altogether there have been to the ITC's consultation on unbundling in the pay television retail market; and whether they will place copies of these responses in the Library of the House. [HL2170]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyThree channel providers have, by various representations, made known to Ministers their concerns about the implications of the Independent Television Commission's (ITC's) proposals on the pay-TV market. The commission has152WA held three consultations during its investigation into channel bundling and I understand that there were 23 respondents to the first; 40 to the second and 33 to the third. In addition, commission officials have held meetings with a substantial number of interested parties. I understand that, as much of the information has been provided to the ITC in strict confidence, the commission has no plans to place the copies of the responses either in its own library or in the Library of the House.