§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to extend the Channel 5 signal to all parts of the UK. [27113]
§ Dr. HowellsChannel 5 services are available on all television platforms: terrestrial, satellite and cable. I do not expect the availability of analogue terrestrial Channel 5 services to be increased because the priority is to use available spectrum for developing digital terrestrial television (DTT). As part of the Digital TV Action Plan, Government and industry are considering the extension354W of DTT coverage. We commenced a three-month consultation on 11 December, inviting views on the basis on which we should plan the use of spectrum for DTT, including the level of coverage required for public service broadcasting and for pay-TV services.