Examination of Witnesses (Questions 120-124)
OFCOM
17 APRIL 2007
Q120 Peter Luff: There we are. We
have had a bit of fun at the end, I am afraid. There is concern
you are driving the cost of regulation more generally, which is
a matter, I am sure, that the House of Lords are looking at in
their survey into regulation.
Lord Currie of Marylebone: We
are driving the costs down, let me emphasise that point, real
cuts every year since we have come into existence.
Q121 Philip Davies: One final thing.
Your whole evidence has been about reducing regulation here, reducing
regulation there, reducing this, reducing that, that competition
is coming in so we do not need to do as much, we have stopped
regulating on this area, so why does everyone have to be paid
so much when you are doing much less regulating?
Lord Currie of Marylebone: I think
over time I would like to see Ofcom shrink. My office started
on the eighth floor, it went down to the seventh floor, it is
now on the fifth floor. We are reducing our physical size. We
are committed to becoming smaller over time, but I think the debate
we have had today illustrates the range of issues that we are
concerned with, involved in and actually concern you. If we did
not have the adequate resources, those issues would not get addressed.
Q122 Mr Hoyle: Would it be possible
to give us a note about which newspapers you advertise in (such
as retail price controls, when you lifted it) just so as we know
how you do communicate with the public?
Mr Richards: What we can do is
give you a note about how that was advertised in general: because
I think I recall, not only was there some advertising, but, in
a sense far more importantly, there was a leaflet put in every
single BT bill. So every single person who was with BT was provided
with information very directly about what was happening.
Q123 Peter Luff: We really must not
get bogged down. I do have concerns about your consultation processes
generally. You heard that we were not able to get into the PMSE
sector to deliver sufficiently quickly. Your annual plan boasts
you had 36 responses from five individuals. I wonder whether or
not you are reaching out sufficiently widely in your consultation
processes. Perhaps that is a subject for next year's inquiry.
Lord Currie of Marylebone: Just
to be clear, we did on our annual plan consultation go around
the country with the annual plan and had public meetings. They
were advertised and people were able to come.
Q124 Peter Luff: We might look at
consultation next year. Thank you. We have given you a rough time
in some respects, but you are an organisation that is held in
high regard. We are grateful to you. I hope you enjoyed the session?
Lord Currie of Marylebone: We
have certainly enjoyed it. We are grateful to both committees
and, I have to say, I regard this robust debate as very important
for us and very healthy for the sector.
Peter Luff: Thank you. We will see you
collectively or severally again in the near future, I am sure.
Thank you.
| 
