§ Dr. George TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the extent to which the move to digital broadcasting will allow reception of appropriate regional variations of BBC and ITV in(a) West Norfolk and (b) other regions unable to receive local programming. [57264]
§ Janet AndersonThe Government's priority is the successful launch of digital television and the expansion in choice it will bring. By the end of 1999 digital terrestrial television will cover 90 per cent. of the UK population and be supplemented by digital cable and satellite services. At this stage, we have made no assessment of what additional benefits digital broadcasting might bring in terms of further local programming.