House of Commons portcullis
House of Commons
Session 2002 - 03
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament

Communications Bill


Communications Bill
Schedule 11 — Approval, imposition and modification of networking arrangements

    385

 

  13      (1)      excuse, to comply with a requirement contained in a notice under paragraph

12.

          (2)      An application under sub-paragraph (1) shall include details of the possible

failure which OFCOM consider has occurred.

          (3)      In enquiring into a case under sub-paragraph (1), the court shall hear—

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              (a)             any witness who may be produced against or on behalf of the

defaulter; and

              (b)             any statement which may be offered in defence.

          (4)      Sub-paragraphs (5) and (6) apply where the court is satisfied, after hearing

any witnesses and statements as mentioned in sub-paragraph (3), that the

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defaulter has refused or failed, without reasonable excuse, to comply with

the requirement contained in the notice under paragraph 12.

          (5)      The court may punish the defaulter as it would have been able to punish him

had he been guilty of contempt of court.

          (6)      Where the defaulter is a body corporate, the power of the court to punish the

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defaulter includes power to punish a director or officer of the body

corporate.

          (7)      A person is guilty of an offence if he intentionally alters, suppresses or

destroys a document which he has been required to produce by a notice

under paragraph 12.

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          (8)      A person is guilty of an offence if—

              (a)             he supplies information to OFCOM in purported compliance with a

notice given to him under paragraph 12;

              (b)             the information is false or misleading in a material respect; and

              (c)             he knows that it is false or misleading in a material respect or is

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reckless as to whether it is false or misleading in a material respect.

          (9)      A person is guilty of an offence if—

              (a)             he supplies information to another person knowing that the

information is to be used for complying with a notice under

paragraph 12;

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              (b)             the information is false or misleading in a material respect; and

              (c)             he knows that it is false or misleading in a material respect or is

reckless as to whether it is false or misleading in a material respect.

          (10)     A person guilty of an offence under this paragraph shall be liable—

              (a)             on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory

35

maximum;

              (b)             on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not

exceeding two years or to a fine, or to both.

          (11)     In this paragraph “the court” means—

              (a)             in relation to England and Wales, the High Court;

40

              (b)             in relation to Scotland, the Court of Session; and

              (c)             in relation to Northern Ireland, the High Court or a judge of the High

Court.

Confidentiality and defamation

  14      (1)      When publishing a report prepared under paragraph 4 or 5, OFCOM must

45

have regard to the need to exclude from the publication, so far as practicable,

 

 

Communications Bill
Schedule 12 — Corresponding obligations of the BBC and Welsh Authority
Part 1 — The BBC

    386

 

  14      (1)      the matters which are confidential in accordance with sub-paragraphs (2)

and (3).

          (2)      A matter is confidential under this sub-paragraph if—

              (a)             it relates specifically to the affairs of a particular body; and

              (b)             publication of that matter would or might, in OFCOM’s opinion,

5

seriously and prejudicially affect the interests of that body.

          (3)      A matter is confidential under this sub-paragraph if—

              (a)             it relates to the private affairs of an individual; and

              (b)             publication of that matter would or might, in OFCOM’s opinion,

seriously and prejudicially affect the interests of that individual.

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          (4)      For the purposes of the law of defamation absolute privilege attaches to

every report prepared under paragraph 4 or 5.

Interpretation of Schedule

  15       In this Schedule—

                    “competition test” is to be construed in accordance with paragraph 6;

15

                    “the Tribunal” means the Competition Appeal Tribunal; and

                    “Tribunal rules” means rules made under section 15 of the Enterprise

Act 2002 (c. 40).

Schedule 12

Section 326

 

Corresponding obligations of the BBC and Welsh Authority

20

Part 1

The BBC

Quotas for independent productions

  1       (1)      It shall be the duty of the BBC to secure that, in each year, not less than 25

per cent. of the total amount of time allocated to the broadcasting of

25

qualifying programmes included in the television broadcasting services

provided by the BBC is allocated to the broadcasting of a range and diversity

of independent productions.

          (2)      In sub-paragraph (1)—

              (a)             the reference to qualifying programmes is a reference to

30

programmes of such description as the Secretary of State may by

order specify as describing the programmes that are to be qualifying

programmes for the purposes of that sub-paragraph;

              (b)             the reference to independent productions is a reference to

programmes of such description as the Secretary of State may by

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order specify as describing the programmes that are to be

independent productions for the purposes of that sub-paragraph;

and

              (c)             the reference to a range of independent productions is a reference to

a range of such productions in terms of cost of acquisition as well as

40

in terms of the types of programme involved.

 

 

Communications Bill
Schedule 12 — Corresponding obligations of the BBC and Welsh Authority
Part 2 — The Welsh Authority

    387

 

          (3)      The Secretary of State may by order amend sub-paragraph (1) by

substituting a different percentage for the percentage for the time being

specified in that sub-paragraph.

          (4)      Before making an order under this paragraph the Secretary of State must

consult OFCOM and the BBC.

5

          (5)      No order is to be made containing provision authorised by this paragraph

unless a draft of the order has been laid before Parliament and approved by

a resolution of each House.

Duty to publicise complaints procedures etc.

  2       (1)      It shall be the duty of the BBC to make arrangements for securing that the

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matters mentioned in sub-paragraph (2) are brought to the attention of the

public (whether by means of broadcasts or otherwise).

          (2)      Those matters are—

              (a)             OFCOM’s functions under Part 5 of the 1996 Act in relation to

services provided by the BBC; and

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              (b)             any procedures established by OFCOM or the BBC for the handling

and resolution of complaints about the observance by the BBC of

standards set under section 307.

           

Part 2

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The Welsh Authority

Public service remits of the Welsh Authority services

  3       (1)      It shall be the duty of the Welsh Authority to secure that the public service

remits for each of their public television services is fulfilled.

          (2)      The public service remit for S4C is the provision of a broad range of high

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quality and diverse programming in a service in which—

              (a)             a substantial proportion of the programmes consists of programmes

in Welsh;

              (b)             the programmes broadcast for viewing between 6:30 PM and 10:00

PM on every day of the week consist mainly of programmes in

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Welsh; and

              (c)             the programmes that are not in Welsh are normally programmes

which are being, have been or are to be broadcast on Channel 4.

          (3)      The public service remit for S4C Digital is the provision of a broad range of

high quality and diverse programming in a service in which a substantial

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proportion of the programmes consists of programmes in Welsh.

          (4)      The public service remit for a television programme service provided by the

Welsh Authority with the approval of the Secretary of State under section

200 is the remit set out in the order approving the provision of the service.

          (5)      The Secretary of State may by order modify sub-paragraphs (2) and (3).

40

          (6)      Before making an order specifying or modifying the public service remit for

any of the Welsh Authority’s public television services, the Secretary of State

must consult—

              (a)             the Authority; and

 

 

Communications Bill
Schedule 12 — Corresponding obligations of the BBC and Welsh Authority
Part 2 — The Welsh Authority

    388

 

              (b)             where the order relates to the inclusion in any service of programmes

that are not in Welsh, C4C.

          (7)      An order modifying the public service remit for S4C or S4C Digital must not

contain provision inconsistent with a requirement that each service must—

              (a)             represent a public service for the dissemination of information,

5

education and entertainment; and

              (b)             include programmes a substantial proportion of which consists of

programmes in Welsh.

          (8)      No order is to be made containing provision authorised by sub-paragraph

(5) unless a draft of the order has been laid before Parliament and approved

10

by a resolution of each House.

Statements of programme policy

  4       (1)      It shall be the duty of the Welsh Authority—

              (a)             as soon as practicable after the coming into force of this paragraph,

and subsequently at annual intervals, to prepare a statement of

15

programme policy; and

              (b)             to monitor their own performance in the carrying out of the

proposals contained in statements made under this paragraph.

          (2)      Every statement of programme policy prepared under this paragraph must

set out the Welsh Authority’s proposals for securing that, during the

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following year—

              (a)             the public service remit for each of their public television services to

be provided during that year will be fulfilled; and

              (b)             the Welsh Authority’s duties under the provisions of this Schedule

will be performed.

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          (3)      Every such statement must contain a report on the performance of the Welsh

Authority in the carrying out during the period since the previous statement

of the proposals contained in that previous statement.

          (4)      When preparing such a statement, the Welsh Authority must consider—

              (a)             any guidance by OFCOM that is in force for the purposes of section

30

258; and

              (b)             any reports previously published by OFCOM under section 256 or

344.

          (5)      Every such statement must be published by the Welsh Authority as soon as

practicable after its preparation is complete.

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          (6)      OFCOM may direct that any statement of policy which—

              (a)             was made by the Welsh Authority before the coming into force of

this paragraph, and

              (b)             is specified in the direction,

                   is to be treated for the purposes of this Act as if it were a statement made in

40

relation to such period as may be so specified in pursuance of this

paragraph.

          (7)      A direction under sub-paragraph (6) cannot contain provision the effect of

which is to postpone the time at which the Welsh Authority would

otherwise be required to make its first statement of programme policy.

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Communications Bill
Schedule 12 — Corresponding obligations of the BBC and Welsh Authority
Part 2 — The Welsh Authority

    389

 

Must-offer obligations in relation to networks and satellite services

  5       (1)      It shall be the duty of the Welsh Authority to ensure that each of their public

digital services is at all times offered as available (subject to the need to agree

terms)—

              (a)             to be broadcast or distributed by means of every appropriate

5

network; and

              (b)             to be broadcast by means of every satellite television service that is

available for reception by members of the public in Wales.

          (2)      It shall be the duty of the Welsh Authority to do their best to secure that

arrangements are entered into, and kept in force, that ensure—

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              (a)             that each of their public digital services is broadcast or distributed on

appropriate networks; and

              (b)             that the broadcasting and distribution of each of their public digital

services, in accordance with those arrangements, result in the service

being available for reception, by means of appropriate networks, by

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as many members of its intended audience as practicable.

          (3)      It shall be the duty of the Welsh Authority to do their best to secure that

arrangements are entered into, and kept in force, that ensure—

              (a)             that each of their public digital services is broadcast by means of

satellite television services that are broadcast so as to be available for

20

reception by members of the public in Wales; and

              (b)             that the broadcasting, in accordance with those arrangements, of

each of the Authority’s public digital services by means of satellite

television services results in its being available for reception in an

intelligible form and by means of those services by as many members

25

of its intended audience as practicable.

          (4)      The Welsh Authority must secure that the arrangements entered into and

kept in force for the purposes of sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) prohibit the

imposition, for or in connection with the provision of an appropriate

network or a satellite television service, of any charge that is attributable

30

(whether directly or indirectly) to the conferring of an entitlement to receive

each of the Authority’s public digital services in an intelligible form by

means of that network or service.

          (5)      OFCOM may, by a direction to the Welsh Authority, require arrangements

made or kept in force for the purposes of sub-paragraphs (2) or (3) to apply

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in the case of every service which is an ancillary service by reference to one

of their public digital services as they apply to the service itself.

          (6)      For the purposes of this paragraph a public digital service of the Welsh

Authority is to be treated, in relation to particular appropriate networks and

satellite television services, as constituting such services comprised in or

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provided with that public digital service—

              (a)             as may be determined by agreement between the Welsh Authority

and OFCOM; or

              (b)             in default of agreement, as may be directed by OFCOM.

          (7)      This paragraph—

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              (a)             so far as it relates to the broadcasting or distribution of any of the

Welsh Authority’s public digital services by means of appropriate

networks, applies only in relation to times when that service is

included in the list of must-carry services in section 60; and

 

 

Communications Bill
Schedule 12 — Corresponding obligations of the BBC and Welsh Authority
Part 2 — The Welsh Authority

    390

 

              (b)             so far as it relates to the broadcasting of such a public digital service

by means of a satellite television service, applies only in relation to

times when that service is included in the list of must-provide

services in section 267.

          (8)      In this paragraph—

5

               “appropriate network” means an electronic communications network

by means of which public electronic communications services are

provided that are used by a significant number of end-users in

Wales as their principal means of receiving television programmes;

               “intended audience”, in relation to a public digital service of the Welsh

10

Authority, means—

                     (a)                    if the service is one provided only for a particular area or

locality of Wales, members of the public in that area or

locality;

                     (b)                    if the service is one provided for members of a particular

15

community, members of that community; and

                     (c)                    in any other case, members of the public in Wales;

               “public digital service”, in relation to the Welsh Authority, means any

of their public television services so far as it is provided in digital

form; and

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               “satellite television service” means a service which—

                     (a)                    consists in or involves the broadcasting of television

programme services from a satellite; and

                     (b)                    is used by a significant number of the persons by whom the

broadcasts are received in an intelligible form as their

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principal means of receiving television programmes.

          (9)      For the purposes of this section an electronic communications network is not

an appropriate network in relation to so much of a channel or other service

as is provided only for a particular area or locality of Wales unless it is a

network by means of which electronic communications services are

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provided to persons in that area or locality

          (10)     In sub-paragraph (8) “public electronic communications service” and “end-

user” each has the same meaning as in Chapter 1 of Part 2.

          (11)     An order under section 395 must not appoint a day for provisions of this

paragraph to come into force that falls less than six months after the day on

35

which the order is made.

Supply of services by satellite in certain areas

  6        It shall be the duty of the Welsh Authority—

              (a)             to join with the providers of other must-provide services in entering

into and maintaining arrangements satisfying the requirements of

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section 266; and

              (b)             to comply with the requirements of any arrangements imposed by

OFCOM for the purposes of conditions under subsection (2) of that

section.

Programming quotas for independent productions

45

  7       (1)      It shall be the duty of the Welsh Authority to secure that, in each year, not

less than 25 per cent. of the total amount of time allocated to the

 

 

Communications Bill
Schedule 12 — Corresponding obligations of the BBC and Welsh Authority
Part 2 — The Welsh Authority

    391

 

  7       (1)      broadcasting of qualifying programmes included in their designated public

services (taken together) is allocated to the broadcasting of a range and

diversity of independent productions.

          (2)      In sub-paragraph (1)—

              (a)             the reference to qualifying programmes is a reference to

5

programmes of such description as the Secretary of State may by

order specify as describing the programmes that are to be qualifying

programmes for the purposes of that sub-paragraph;

              (b)             the reference to independent productions is a reference to

programmes of such description as the Secretary of State may by

10

order specify as describing the programmes that are to be

independent productions for the purposes of that sub-paragraph;

and

              (c)             the reference to a range of independent productions is a reference to

a range of such productions in terms of cost of acquisition as well as

15

in terms of the types of programme involved.

          (3)      The Secretary of State may by order amend sub-paragraph (1) by

substituting a different percentage for the percentage for the time being

specified in that sub-paragraph.

          (4)      Before making an order under this paragraph the Secretary of State must

20

consult OFCOM, the BBC and the Welsh Authority.

          (5)      No order is to be made containing provision authorised by this paragraph

unless a draft of the order has been laid before Parliament and approved by

a resolution of each House.

          (6)      The services that are designated public services for the purposes of this

25

paragraph are—

              (a)             S4C;

              (b)             S4C Digital; and

              (c)             any of the Welsh Authority’s other public television services which

is designated for the purposes of this paragraph by the order under

30

section 200 approving its provision.

          (7)      In this paragraph “programme” does not include an advertisement.

Programme quotas for original productions

  8       (1)      It shall be the duty of the Welsh Authority, in relation to their designated

public services (taken together) to secure—

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              (a)             that the time allocated, in each year, to the broadcasting of original

productions included in those services is no less than the proportion

fixed under sub-paragraph (2) of the total amount of time allocated

to the broadcasting of all the programmes included in those services;

and

40

              (b)             that the time allocated to the broadcasting of original productions is

split in the manner so fixed between peak viewing times and other

times.

          (2)      The fixing for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1) of a proportion or manner

of splitting allocated time is to be—

45

              (a)             by agreement between the Welsh Authority and OFCOM; or

              (b)             in default of agreement, by a direction given by OFCOM to the

Authority fixing the proportion or manner according to whatever

 

 

 
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