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The UK Government has issued a Green Paper setting out options for the future regulatory structure for communications (including broadcasting and telecommunications) as convergence takes place. In part this is a response to a recent report of a Parliamentary Committee which strongly criticised current regulatory arrangements as far too complicated; no less than 14 different statutory and self-regulatory bodies exist for media and telecommunications. It also considered that the regulatory structures and law had failed to keep pace with technological development. The Committee recommended that a...

The UK telecommunications regulator, the Office of Telecommunications (OFTEL), has published a consultative document on ensuring that the prices broadcasters and others are required to pay for access to digital television receivers to provide television and interactive services are fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory. It seeks views on three related issues: - whether all or part of the investment in the subsidy of consumer equipment should be regarded as investment in network infrastructure which it would be legitimate to take into account in setting access charges for thirdparty users. -...

Meeting at the UK Home Office Emergency Planning College, Government officials from 12 EU States and representatives from the emergency services and the media discussed the "best practice when working with the media during a civil emergency or disaster". As a result, the European Commission will be presented with a proposal for a European working-group to be established to develop guidelines on the best ways for the emergency services and the media to work together during events such as the flooding in Poland, the Spanish flash floods or the evacuation from Aintree race track. Most recently, there...

The Fourth Report from the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Session 1997-98, entitled The Multi-Media Revolution, was published on Thursday 21 May 1998. The Report arises from the Committee's inquiry entitled Audio-Visual Communications and the Regulation of Broadcasting ( see IRIS 1998-3: 13). The Committee's report is focused mainly on changing technologies in the communications sector and the public policies required to harness their benefits while seeking to maintain the best characteristics of current provision. Concerning the structures required under statute and within Government to deliver...

The UK Government has just published the fourth annual monitoring Report on the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. Key points in the report are: the total number of requests for information in 1997 was 2037 (the 1996 figure was 2033); 4.2% of requests were refused (the 1996 figure was 9.1%); and 94.8% of requests were processed within a 20 day period (up from the 1996 figure of 93%). The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster stressed, in announcing the Report, that there was no diminution of the Government's commitment to publish a draft Freedom of Information Bill later this...