Citizens Band Radio

Mr. Allen McKay
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he intends to legalise AM transmission on the 27 metre band, or any other frequency, in either the normal or single side band mode;(2) if it is now the policy of Her Majesty's Government to confine citizens band radio to FM transmissions and to exclude the possibility for the foreseeable future of amplitude modulation—AM—transmission.

Mr. Raison
Amplitude modulation is permitted in certain services where it will not cause widespread interference, but it is not an appropriate method of modulation for citizens band radio. We have no intention of authorising the use of AM for the citizens band service.

Mr. Allen McKay
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends to allocate additional bands to the 40 already allocated on the legal FM system to alleviate the overcrowding already becoming apparent in some parts of the United Kingdom.

Mr. Raison
No. We have no reason to suppose that the 40 channels allocated are insufficient. They represent the highest number allocated in the 27 MH2 Hz band anywhere in the world.