§ Mr. WilkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will take steps to end the BBC's monopoly of religious broadcasting. [157259]
§ Janet AndersonAll public service broadcasters are committed to carrying religious programming. Such programming is an important element of public service provision and the Government reaffirmed in the White Paper "A New Future for Communications", which was published on 12 December 2000, that it will continue to be so. The White Paper invited comments on whether the current restrictions on ownership of broadcasting licences by religious organisations should be relaxed in the new legislation, and the Government are currently considering the responses.
§ Mr. WilkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on what grounds Christian broadcasting organisations are not allowed access to the air waves in the UK; and if he will review the matter. [157260]
§ Janet AndersonThe Broadcasting Act 1990 disqualifies religious organisations from holding broadcasting licences, except where the regulators are satisfied that it is appropriate for such bodies to hold licences for licensable programme services, satellite television, or local analogue, cable or satellite radio 317W services. The White Paper, "A New Future for Communications", which was published on 12 December 2000, proposed that religious organisations should also be allowed to hold local digital radio licences. These restrictions have been considered necessary to safeguard pluralism in the media and to avoid religious discrimination: capacity constraints mean that one religious organisation may be able to hold a licence where another may not. Nevertheless, the White Paper invited comments on whether these restrictions should he relaxed, and we are currently considering the responses.