Communications review next steps announced
Five seminars planned to shape and inform review. A new Communications Bill will be introduced by the end of this Parliament to ensure the…
A new Communications Bill will be introduced by the end of this Parliament to ensure the UK continues to have a world-beating communications sector that delivers innovative and high-quality content along with safe and efficient services. Over the coming months five seminars will inform the communications review.
The seminars will look at:
- The Consumer Perspective
- Competition Content Markets
- Maximising the value of spectrum to support growth and innovation
- Driving investment and growth in the UK’s TV content industries
- Supporting growth in the radio (audio) sector
“The UK’s communications sector is one of the strongest in the world” said Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt. “We must ensure the sector can grow by being at the forefront of new developments in the industry. It is essential that we set the right conditions for the industry to enable businesses to grasp the opportunities created by new technology.”
Communications Minister Ed Vaizey added “The communications industry is a key part of our economy. Through these seminars, we will look in detail at how best to drive investment and competition. We want to shape the Communications Bill so that we have the right framework to secure our place as Europe’s tech hub.”
Continuing work
Several other strands of work to help the UK’s creative and digital sectors are on-going. The Government is working to implement the recommendations from the Hargreaves Review of the UK’s intellectual property framework and work on content regulation will resume following the recommendations of The Leveson Inquiry on the future of press regulation.
To provide greater protection for children from inappropriate content the Government is strengthening the ratings system for video games and consulting on extending age ratings to more music videos.
The UK Council for Child Internet Safety is working on the adoption of active choice across all internet enabled devices and internet access points and the Department for Education will also consult on what more can be done to keep children safe online.
A White Paper will be published in early 2013 with a Communications Bill introduced by the final session of this Parliament. The policy papers and seminars will replace a planned green paper.
Further information
- Communications review homepage with details of seminars
- Full press release
- Leveson Inquiry
- UK Council for Child Internet Safety
- Department for Education