Contributions
920 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDBBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in ProvisionI had the pleasure of staying in my hon. Friend’s constituency for a few days recently, when I enjoyed the BBC local services on offer which provided a distinct flavour of the…01 Nov 2022HANSARDBBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in ProvisionI know that the hon. Gentleman feels strongly about issues of impartiality in the BBC, and the former Secretary of State extracted several commitments from it, with a 10-point…01 Nov 2022HANSARDBBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in ProvisionI have said several times, and I will say again, that this is the kind of public service broadcasting content that people pay their licence fee for. Hon. Members have got their…01 Nov 2022HANSARDBBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in ProvisionI thank the hon. Lady for highlighting this news announcement that we learned about yesterday, as it gives the House an opportunity to demonstrate the value we all place on BBC…01 Nov 2022HANSARDBBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in ProvisionI thank the hon. Lady for her comments and for highlighting the work done by Radio Humberside, as well as the power of radio to connect us in times of need and to ensure local…01 Nov 2022HANSARDBBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in ProvisionI thank my hon. Friend the Chair of the Select Committee. I am particularly grateful to him and the Committee for their very important work and investigations into local…01 Nov 2022HANSARDBBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in ProvisionIt is important to ask ourselves what “local” means in this context. If several counties or regions are stitched together, the service ceases to be local and relevant to local…01 Nov 2022HANSARDBBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in ProvisionMy right hon. Friend raises an important point. One thing the BBC does is serve every community, including those audiences who are not so capable of listening to things online and…01 Nov 2022HANSARDBBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in ProvisionI think that I have a very positive relationship with the BBC, but it is operationally independent. In the context of some of the changes that are being made, it is important that…01 Nov 2022HANSARDBBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in ProvisionMy hon. Friend has particular experience as a former manager of BBC Radio Solent and a Select Committee member. As I have said previously, I am very grateful to the Select…01 Nov 2022HANSARDBBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in ProvisionI thank the hon. Gentleman for raising the importance of Merseyside radio. On the matter of holding people to account, my understanding is that the proposals include an investment…01 Nov 2022HANSARDBBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in ProvisionThe BBC is a public service broadcaster and it is there to deal with types of journalism that are not covered adequately by the market. That is why the BBC has support. If it is…01 Nov 2022HANSARDBBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in ProvisionI thank the right hon. Lady for raising those interviews with the previous Prime Minister. That has since led to a regular section on the Radio 4 “Today” programme where local…01 Nov 2022HANSARDBBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in ProvisionMy right hon. Friend obviously has a great deal of expertise in these matters and I am grateful to him for raising the great content of BBC Essex. As I have said before, this is a…01 Nov 2022HANSARDBBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in ProvisionI thank the hon. Gentleman for his contribution. He is right to highlight just how important those local radio services were during the pandemic, particularly as we were seeing…01 Nov 2022HANSARDBBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in ProvisionI thank my hon. Friend for raising the incredibly important work of BBC Radio Lancashire; I am grateful to be able to give it a shout-out. She raises the prospect of a merged…01 Nov 2022HANSARDBBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in ProvisionI thank my hon. Friend—I mean the hon. Gentleman—for raising—01 Nov 2022HANSARDBBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in ProvisionI thank my hon. Friend for raising the importance of the sports content in particular. I know there is so much passion for people’s local clubs, and if that news service is not…01 Nov 2022HANSARDBBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in ProvisionI am glad my hon. Friend has taken the opportunity to raise the wonderful club of Torquay United and the important coverage that BBC local journalists provide to grassroots sport,…01 Nov 2022HANSARDBBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in ProvisionI thank the right hon. Gentleman for his suggestion. As I hope he has gathered from my responses, this urgent question has been a useful opportunity for the House to make clear…01 Nov 2022