§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has made to the ITC concerning the proposal to reschedule "News at Ten". [57212]
§ Mr. Chris Smith[holding answer 29 October 1998]: I have made no representations to the ITC in relation to their current consideration of proposals from the Channel 3 companies to revise the weekday evening schedule, including replacing the current news bulletins with programmes at 6.30pm and 11pm. I set out my own views on this issue in a letter to my right hon. Friend the Chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on 5 October as I was aware the Committee was likely to want to conduct an inquiry on this issue which it has subsequently done. As the ITC were then in the process of public consultation on the Channel 3 proposal, my letter was copied, as a matter of courtesy, to Sir Robin Biggam and also to Richard Eyre, Chief Executive of the ITV Network.