House of Lords prepares for television coverage

Press, 14 August 1984, Page 6

House of Lords prepares for television coverage

NZPA staff correspondent London

Proceedings in the; House of Lords are likely' to be televised from next January in an experiment which seems certain to put pressure on the House ? of Commons to follow suit.

A report from’a Lord’s select committee recommends allowing television cameras in for a six-month trial. The report is expected to be ratified in November.

Extracts would be shown during news and current events programmes, and there would also be live coverage of some important debates. Certain subjects would not be shown: interruptions from the gallery would be edited out and the debates would not be used for television satire or light

entertainment programmes. While the peers will be appearing on television, however, Commons debates will remain confined to radio.

Last year the Labour member of Parliament for Grimsby and a former New Zealand broadcaster, Mr Austin Mitchell, introduced a private member’s bill in an attempt to put the Commons under the scrutiny of the cameras. It received wide support among members of Parliament but got nowhere through lack of time.

“It is a little sad that the House of Commons should have to be shown the way into the twentieth century by this nineteenth century institution,” said Mr Mitchell recently. The effect of the broad-

casts from the Upper House would be to quell the fears expressed by some members of Parliament and pave the way to televising the Commons, he said.

There have also been suggestions that reluctant members of Parliament will change their tune when they find themselves upstaged by peers appearing on television in the homes of their constituents.

The costs of the broadcasts, to be shared by the 8.8. C. and the Independent Broadcasting Authority, could be as much as £200,000 ($530,000). The Government will contribute up to £lO,OOO ($26,500) for some electrical installations.