BBC LOCAL RADIO

Early day motion 326, tabled 30 July 1997 by Austin Mitchell (Labour). Signed by 39 members.

That this House seeing BBC local radio as the Corporation's roots in the community and concerned to maintain the high quality of is distinctive coverage unique to public service, considers that the constant pressure of cuts in staff levels in journalists, local programming, in engineering staff and in budgets undermines both local roots and local service and therefore rejects the need for such cuts which have a quite disproportionate impact on smaller units like the local radio stations; and therefore asks the BBC to fund local radio properly, instead of constantly cutting its resources as well as taking a proportion of the budget back for central charges and facilities and now cutting budgets generally to pave the way for a 24 hour news service, so that the BBC can nurture its roots and strengthen stations which are popular, and geared at providing well liked, good local service, rather than pursuing Birtian dreams.

Signatures by party: Labour 30, Liberal Democrat 4, Labour/Co-operative 2, Conservative 1, Independent 1, Plaid Cymru 1.