Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform written question – answered at on 11 May 2009.
Patricia Hewitt
Labour, Leicester West
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he has had recent discussions with representatives of the International Telecommunications Union on the implications for aeronautical radio spectrum in the UK of introducing administered incentive pricing.
Pat McFadden
Minister of State (Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) (Employment Relations and Postal Affairs), Member, Labour Party National Executive Committee
My noble Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has not had recent discussions with representatives of the International Telecommunication Union, on the implications for aeronautical radio spectrum in the UK of introducing administered incentive pricing. Discussions of this nature are a matter for the regulator, the Office of Communications (ofcom), which represents the UK Government on matters of international spectrum policy, including in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Yes1 person thinks so
No1 person thinks not
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Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services.
Ofcom Web Site http://www.ofcom.org.uk
