Monday Volume 496 20 July 2009 No. 114 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Monday 20 July 2009 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2009 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through the Office of Public Sector Information website at www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/ Enquiries to the Office of Public Sector Information, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; Tel: 0044 (0) 208876344; e-mail: [email protected] 561 20 JULY 2009 562 Mr. Simon: We are ensuring with radio switchover House of Commons that community organisations and small community radio stations, which might currently be able to broadcast Monday 20 July 2009 for only two weeks a year, will inherit the FM spectrum currently taken up by big regional and national FM broadcasters. Precisely such small, commercial, local The House met at half-past Two o’clock community organisations will be able to flourish in the digital future in a way that they are technologically constrained from doing now. PRAYERS Adam Price (Carmarthen, East and Dinefwr) (PC): The Minister is a Welsh speaker, so is he aware of the [MR.SPEAKER in the Chair] fears for the future of Radio Cymru, the BBC’s Welsh language national service? It is not currently available on digital and will not be available in large swathes of Oral Answers to Questions western Wales for reasons of topography. Mr. Simon: I have, with personal regret, to tell the hon. Gentleman that I am not really a Welsh speaker. CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT [HON.MEMBERS: “Ah!”] Dwi’n dysgu, ’de? I should have been a Welsh speaker. We are alive to the particular problems of Wales. The Secretary of State was asked— There are serious problems with coverage, not just with Digital Radio Switchover respect to Radio Cymru but with digital coverage throughout Wales. We have made it clear that the nations and regions that are furthest behind in digital coverage 1. Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield) (Con): What will be the first priority for the most serious intervention, his most recent assessment is of progress on digital to ensure that they are not left behind when we move to radio switchover; and if he will make a statement. digital. We have made it clear also that we will not move [287437] to digital unless 90 per cent. coverage at the very least is achieved. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Mr. Siôn Simon): The “Digital Britain” Mr. Jeremy Hunt (South-West Surrey) (Con): I start White Paper set out the Government’s vision for the by welcoming you to your post, Mr. Speaker—an elevation delivery of the digital radio upgrade by the end of 2015. that was only marginally more likely than man walking We have committed to a review of the progress towards on the moon, which happened 40 years ago today. I that timetable in spring 2010, and we have also asked offer you my congratulations. I am sure that you will Ofcom to review and publish progress against the upgrade want to join me in offering the congratulations of the criteria at least once a year, starting next year. whole House to the England cricket team, which won an historic victory today—their first victory over the Sir Nicholas Winterton: Is the Minister not aware Australians at Lord’s for 75 years. We would also like to that “Digital Britain” has in fact failed to address the congratulate the Minister on taking up his post in the inadequacies of digital radio broadcasting coverage? DCMS team. I am sure that he will agree with that comment. The Government’s own figures state that there are Representations made to me so far suggest that the idea 65 million analogue radios in circulation, and they hope of a switchover is currently very unpopular. Instead of that the cost of digital radios will fall to £20 a set. That rushing ahead with the switchover, will he take positive means that the cost of upgrading the nation’s analogue action to allow people to see some tangible benefits? radio stock will surpass £1 billion. Who will pay that £1 billion? Will it be the Government, or will it be Mr. Simon: I am disappointed that the hon. Gentleman consumers? thinks that we are rushing ahead. We have said that we will move Britain to digital by 2015. That gives consumers Mr. Simon: Mr. Speaker, I should apologise for having and the industry six years to make the upgrade, which forgotten to congratulate you; I thought that we were we are doing because we are committed to radio, we taking your position for granted by now, but it is my believe in radio and we love radio, and radio will not first time speaking under your chairmanship. I offer my have a future unless it goes digital. We are not switching very sincere congratulations. I never thought that your off FM, and we are putting new services on the FM elevation was unlikely. spectrum that is vacated by the services which move to digital audio broadcasting, because we want to see Mr. Edward Vaizey (Wantage) (Con): What about radio prosper and grow in the digital age. cricket? Mr. Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op): Is Mr. Simon: The hon. Gentleman shouts “cricket” my hon. Friend aware that switchover is affecting valued from a sedentary position. I can tell him that the services on both radio and television? I have been Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, lobbied by Teachers TV, which fears that it will lose an my hon. Friend the Member for Bradford, South enormous part of its audience because the Department (Mr. Sutcliffe), was at the cricket, which almost certainly for Children, Schools and Families is stipulating that it accounts for the first English victory at Lord’s since, I must switch over totally to digital. believe, 1934. 563 Oral Answers20 JULY 2009 Oral Answers 564 In response to what we might call the “Tory sums” of Sir Ian McKellen began his acting career in Bolton. If the hon. Member for South-West Surrey (Mr. Hunt)— the free ticket scheme inspires another actor of his [Interruption.] No, Tory sums. We do not know how calibre, it will have been money very well spent. many analogue radios are in circulation; it may be 65 million. The first point to make is that those sets will Digital Radio Switchover not become redundant. The FM spectrum will be well used for new services that are currently squeezed out. 3. Ann Winterton (Congleton) (Con): If he will We are working with industry to come up with sets that continue to provide for analogue radio broadcasting are consistently priced at £20 or less. That will enable beyond 2015. [287439] consumers to add to the 9 million digital sets— The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Mr. Speaker: Order. May I gently say to the hon. Media and Sport (Mr. Siôn Simon): The “Digital Britain” Gentleman, who has been extremely generous in his White Paper was clear that analogue radio, via FM, will remarks, that I do not want to have to press the switch-off continue beyond 2015. After the digital radio upgrade is button, but I am a bit alarmed that he has a second completed, the vacated FM spectrum will be allocated point in mind? It might be better if he kept it for the to community radio stations and a new tier of ultra-local long winter evenings. commercial radio. Mr. Hunt: The point is that if people use their analogue Ann Winterton: I congratulate the Minister on his sets, they will be able to listen to new radio stations, but new position, not least because I am a former pupil of not the radio stations that they have been listening to Erdington grammar school in his constituency. As he for a very long time. Was it not the height of irresponsibility knows, 52 per cent. of listeners have not converted to to announce the phasing out of analogue spectrum digital audio broadcasting. Many groups of listeners, without announcing any details or any funding for a including the blind, are concerned that their analogue help scheme, similar to the one that was in place for TV radios may be turned off in due course. That includes, switchover? Will that not cause widespread concern of course, all those analogue radios in cars. What hope among millions of radio listeners, who will feel that for the future can the Minister give those groups? they are faced with the unenviable choice of either paying up or switching off? Mr. Simon: I am grateful for the hon. Lady’s congratulations, and thank her for her adornment of Mr. Simon: I shall try to squeeze in my answer at the my constituency. To answer her two questions quickly, end of that extraordinarily long question. We will do on help for the blind, there is an important issue to do exactly the same with radio as we did with television: we with audio description for radio stations along the will carry out a full cost-benefit analysis of exactly what spectrum. We have been working for 18 months—and kind of help scheme might or might not be required, continue to work—with manufacturers to make sure and we will proceed accordingly. There are 9 million that sets that provide that description for the blind are digital sets in use already. Consumers have six years to made available at an affordable price in the digital decide how much they want to pay, for what equipment, future.