The Labour Party launched their manifesto this morning. There were a number of commitments made in regard to Ofcom-related issues. These are detailed below.

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Public service broadcasting and the BBC

We support a strong, independent and world-class BBC with clearly defined public purposes at the heart of a healthy public broadcasting system.We will replace the BBC Governors with a BBC Trust to ensure that the BBC�s governance and regulation is accountable to the licence-fee payers to whom it belongs.The licence fee will be guaranteed for the whole of the ten-year Royal Charter that will take effect on 1 January 2007.

Channel 4 will continue to be a publicly owned broadcaster providing distinctive competition to the BBC. ITV and Five will also be retained in our public service broadcasting system.

Digital switchover

The success of satelite and cable television in driving take-up of digital shows how changes in technology bring real benefits � in terms of greater choice, and increasingly, in access to services. Our aim is to make those benefits available to all.We will achieve digital switchover between 2008 and 2012 ensuring universal access to high-quality, free-to-view and subscription digital TV.This will happen region by region, and we will make sure that the interests of elderly people and other vulnerable groups are protected.

Digital challenge

We will deliver our cross-government strategy for closing the digital divide and using ICT to further transform public services:

By 2006 every school supported to offer all pupils access to computers at home.

A new National Internet Safety Unit to make Britain the safest place in the world to access the internet.

Copyright in a digital age

We will modernise copyright and other forms of protection of intellectual property rights so that they are appropriate for the digital age. We will use our presidency of the EU to look at how to ensure content creators can protect their innovations in a digital age. Piracy is a growing threat and we will work with industry to protect against it.

Film

The strength of Britain�s film industry is a source of pride, and employment. We will continue to make the UK the right place to invest in film production. We will legislate to provide new tax reliefs that will ensure support is delivered directly and efficiently to those who produce films.

We will work with the UK Film Council to achieve a higher priority for funding film festivals around the country, in particular for the Edinburgh Film Festival, the oldest in Britain.