Mr. SwaynTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement regarding her policy with regard to allowing religious broadcasters to274W apply for (a) national analogue radio licences, (b) national digital sound programme licences, (c) analogue radio additional service licences, (d) local radio multiplex licences, (e) national radio multiplex licences, (f) all audiologue television licences, (g) national television multiplex licences and (h) local television multiplex licences. [61508]
§ Dr. HowellsThe Government's aim is to ensure that the limited spectrum available is distributed so as to satisfy as many viewers/listeners as possible, and to avoid giving one religion an unfair advantage over another so that everyone's beliefs are equally respected. The Government's position is set out in the document "The draft Communications Bill—The Policy" which states that, where there is sufficient spectrum availability, restrictions on religious bodies holding licences will be removed (paragraph 9.3.3).
This means that religious bodies can hold none of the licences referred to in the question. However, the Radio Authority, which licences all independent radio services in the UK, is currently given discretion under the Broadcasting Act 1990 to award local analogue, satellite and cable licences to religious bodies, subject to compliance with the authority's codes on News, Current Affairs and Programming; Advertising and Sponsorship; and its Ownership Guidelines, and the ITC can also award cable and satellite TV licences to religious organisations. The draft Bill increases the number of types of licences which religious bodies can hold by giving Ofcom discretion to award a digital local sound programme service and a digital additional service licence to religious bodies. Further clauses are now being drafted which will give Ofcom discretion to award religious bodies digital additional service licences for TV and radio, TV licences for digital programme services and restricted service licences.