BSKYB SHARES IN ITV

That this House welcomes the final findings of the Competition Commission, published on 20th December 2007 which concluded that a divestment of shares to below 7.5 per cent. would be effective in remedying the substantial lessening of competition and the consequent adverse effects on the public interest of BSkyB's acquisition of shares in ITV; notes that BSkyB have suggested an appropriate divestment period of 17 to 20 months; further notes that the Competition Commission state that divestment should normally be six months at a maximum although in practice shorter periods have sometimes been specified and that ITV believes three months would be adequate to find a buyer; and urges the Secretary of State to accept the findings of the Competition Commission and instruct BSkyB to complete divestment without undue delay.