§ Mr. YeoTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if she will make a statement of the value to the economy of the independent television production sector in the United Kingdom; [64570]
(2) if the proportion of programmes required to be sourced from the independent production sector is based upon that sector's estimated contribution to creativity in UK television. [64569]
§ Dr. HowellsIndependent productions are an important component of the television landscape in the United Kingdom. The 25 per cent. independent productions quota, set out in the Broadcasting Act 1990, has helped maintain the diversity of British television, supported the development of creative and technical skills and helped create a thriving and innovative production industry—total expenditure by UK broadcasters on independent programming was around £750 million in 1999. We want this to continue to develop and have therefore retained the obligations in the recently published draft Communications Bill (Cm 5508-I).