To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what statutory obligations apply to Freeview to ensure that all national free-to-air broadcasts from free-to-air broadcasters are equally available to all licence fee payers. (292939)

There are no such statutory obligations. The Communications Act 2003 requires that the coverage of the digital terrestrial television multiplexes carrying the public service channels¹ should substantially match the coverage of the comparable analogue services, which is estimated to be 98.5 per cent. of UK households. Ofcom has included this condition in broadcasters’ digital replacement licences and multiplex licences.

¹ All BBC channels, ITV1, Channel Four (main channel only), Five (main channel only) and S4C.