§ Mr. CawseyTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he will publish proposals for reform of the Broadcasting Act; and if he will make a statement. [108981]
§ Mr. Chris SmithMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and I propose to publish a White Paper later this year setting out the Government's proposals for reform of the framework of communications legislation. This will include proposals for changing both the Telecommunications and Broadcasting Acts as a basis for legislation when parliamentary time allows. The White Paper will accordingly be broad in its scope, covering both infrastructure and content issues. It will draw on responses to the options for reform of the broadcasting and telecommunications framework set out in the Government's June 1999 statement "Regulating Communications: The Way Ahead" and will take full account of emerging conclusions from the current review of the European Union regulatory framework for communications. The work will be taken forward by a joint DTI/DCMS team to ensure a coherent and consistent approach to the regulation of the converging communications industries.