Broadcasting Order 1993
[BARONESS TRUMPINGTON]
[LORDS]
any joint arrangements for selling advertising time to account for more than 25 per cent. of ITV's regional revenue in 1993. When it announced its policies in 1991, the commission said that it would review the rules in 1994. I understand that that is still the commission's intention. In accordance with the commission's usual practice. I would expect it to consult widely and seek views from interested organisations. Meanwhile, the 25 per cent. limit remains in force.
The noble Lord, Lord Donoughue, stated that while circumstances are fluid it is difficult to get the ducks in a row-and other bird-like fremarks. The 25 per cent. limit on the advertising revenue is a matter for the ITC, which will review the policy next year. Therefore, exactly what I have stated before remains true.
The noble Lord. Lord Donoughue, also referred to ITN. Under the provisions of the Broadcasting Act the Channel 3 licences must together hold less than a 50 per cent. stake in ITN and no one participant. person or body connected to that participant can have more than a 20 per cent. interest in ITN. Those restrictions are planned to come into force at the end of 1994, a date We have no plans to amend the legislation on the ownership of N. However, the ITN nwnership restrictions would be included in our wider review of ownership issues
The noble Lords, Lord Thomson and Lord Hollick. spoke about the dominance of a few ITV companies. Fears have been expressed that the ITV system will be dominated by a few companies as a result of some of the proposed mergers or takeovers, such as that between Carlton and Central or Granada's bid for London Weekend Television. Under the proposals in the order there would have to be at least eight companies, since no one can hold more than two licences. The companies that have held the franchises in London, the Midlands and the North West have been the leaders of ITV for
many years.
We want to make sure that there is a strong base of programme production in this country so that there is plenty of UK material to be distributed by the new technologies. That should create new jobs and the UK could become a centre for proadcasting, production and distribution. That will not be achieved if we live in the past and assume that we can hold back the tide of change and technology and prevent sensible partnerships which aim to make the most of the opportunities that the changes in technology are creating.
It takes two sides to tanĝo and we have certainly seen two sides this evening. I am most grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Armstrong of Iminster, and my noble friend Lord Colwyn for their remarks. It has been interesting to hear all noble Lords' marks. If I have omitted answering any of your Lordships' questions. I shall of course write to any noble Lord who wishes me to. But in the meantime I commend the Motion to your Lordships.
On Question, Motion agreed to.
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British Nationality Bill (H.L./
British Nationality (Hong Kong) Bill
8.51 p.m.
[H.L.]
1284
Lord Bonham-Carter: My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a second time.
Your Lordships will remember that on 15th July this summer. by a majority of 60 to 48, your Lordships called upon Her Majesty's Government to give full British citizenship to members of the non-Chinese ethnic minorities who will be without a right of abode elsewhere after 1st July 1997.
Since the Government have taken no steps to implement the will of the House, it has been necessary to introduce a private Member's Bill to give legislative effect to that resolution.
I need not remind your Lordships of the roil-call of supporters of that resolution in July this year, but it included two former governors of Hong Kong and the noble Baroness, Lady Dunn, who flew here from Hong Kong especially to support the resolution. And support it most eloquently and effectively she did. She cannot be here today, to her regret, but she has written to me to express her support for the Bill.
Everyone who spoke on that occasion, with the exception of the noble Earl, Lord Ferrers, spoke in favour of the resolution. I would not be surprised if the same were not the cast tonight. I am delighted to see the
î noble Earl in a sufficient state, despite his walking wounded condition, to deal with the subject. It is gallant of him.
The Bill will give British citizenship to that small and unique group of people who, after 1997, will have to rely on what is known as BN(O), British National (Overseas) status. That is little more than a travel document. It provides no right of abode outside Hong Kong and those people will, as the noble Baroness, Lady Dunn, said, have no right to Chinese nationality. In the opinion of many eminent authorities—that is to say Justice, the International Commission of Jurists, the Commonwealth Human Rights Advisory Commission-that group of people will be rendered effectively stateless.
This is a unique case. What is taking place in Hong Kong and will take place in the next year or so until 1997 is absolutely without precedent. Hong Kong-unlike any other British colony-is not being granted independence. It and its vereignty are being transferred to another state where British nationals will not have the right to become citizens. That is the heart of the matter: people who are British nationals are being transferred to the sovereignty of another state and under the nationality rules of that state they will not have the right to become citizens.
Finally, and perhaps most irrationally, Her Majesty's Government have undertaken, if the worst comes to the worst, to take those people in. There is no evidence. unless the worst comes to the worst, that they have any desire whatever to come to live in this country, though many of them would be a great asset to us if they did. But, that being the case, why not do one's duty and get
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