Draft Local Digital Television Programme Services (Amendment) Order 2024

Saqib Bhatti Excerpts

Tuesday 17th December 2024 General Committees

[Saqib Bhatti (Meriden and Solihull East) (Con)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stringer, and to see the work of the previous Government come to fruition. The Minister is right: we should be proud of our local TV services, and we should not underestimate their importance to our local communities. As Members will be aware, and as the Minister set out, licences for a local TV multiplex for all 34 local TV services are due to expire on 25 November 2025.

In April 2022, the previous Government published their broadcasting White Paper, which outlined the ambition to make changes to the local TV licensing regime. The changes, which will be implemented through this statutory instrument, will enable the extension of a local TV multiplex licence until 2034, and make it subject to the same conditions that apply to national digital terrestrial television multiplexes. A consultation run under the previous Government for 14 weeks from 7 June 2023 on options for the renewal or relicensing of individual local television services received numerous responses, including from current licence holders, media and telecommunications companies, and members of the public. Overall the responses were supportive of the proposed approach.

His Majesty’s official Opposition support this SI, which implements the necessary changes proposed by the last Government. The existing regime for local TV does not allow Ofcom to renew licences for the local TV multiplex or individual local TV services. The SI will enable Ofcom to run a renewal process that provides scrutiny but is not burdensome. I hope the Minister agrees that that balance is key in this endeavour, because for small and micro-businesses a lengthy and costly process will be problematic. Without the SI, Ofcom would be required to launch and run a new licensing round for the local TV multiplex and individual services, which risks putting a disproportionate burden on those businesses without any tangible policy benefits. I hope that this approach provides stability for local TV services over the next licence period.

I am of course concerned that the disastrous Budget set out earlier this year is already affecting business confidence. Will the Minister provide detail on how the Government will support collaboration and investment in the sector? How are the Government supporting local TV services to overcome some of the challenges they face, including to their financial sustainability? I shall be grateful if the Minister, in answer to a point raised in the other place, gives details of the steps the Government are taking to ensure open competition in future licensing rounds.

More broadly, I am sure we all agree on the importance of local TV services and the significant economic and social benefits they bring to viewers across the UK. The previous Government published their vision and ambition for the sector, outlined in the White Paper. We are yet to see any new proposal from the Government, but we have been promised a local media strategy. Will the Minister inform the Committee when that will be published, and say whether it is being developed with industry input?