HC Deb 08 May 2001 vol 368 cc113-4W
Mr. Healey

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish the outcome of the review of the BBC's fair trading policies; and if he will make a statement.[160693]

Mr. Chris Smith

Further to my written answer of 25 January 2001,Official Report, column 696W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, East and Saddleworth (Mr. Woolas) about an independent review of the BBC Commercial Policy Guidelines and Fair Trading Commitment by Richard Whish, Professor of Law at King's College, I am today publishing, jointly with the BBC, the findings of that review. Professor Whish has concluded from his scrutiny of the documentation that: the BBC's Fair Trading Commitment and the Guidelines are appropriate to ensure that the BBC does not distort competition in commercial markets.

Sir Christopher Bland has written to me on behalf of the BBC Governors to acknowledge the report's findings and to inform me that when the Guidelines are next reviewed they will take into account Professor Whish's suggested clarifications to the existing format.

He has also informed me that the BBC has been awarded the British Standards Institute's ISO 9001:2000 accreditation for its fair trading compliance procedures.

I am arranging for copies of Professor Whish's report to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.