Contributions
920 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDChannel 4 PrivatisationFirst, I thank my hon. Friend for his engagement on the issue and for the work of his Committee, which the Department very much values. I was able to speak to him about the…27 Apr 2022HANSARDChannel 4 PrivatisationI thank the hon. Member for his question. I did not suggest that Channel 4 would pursue a Netflix subscription model; I simply made the point that Netflix and others—this is not a…27 Apr 2022HANSARDChannel 4 PrivatisationI thank my hon. Friend for his comments. It is important to understand that the Secretary of State and I went into the entire process with a very open mind— [ Interruption . ]…27 Apr 2022HANSARDChannel 4 PrivatisationThank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. It is important to say that tomorrow is a sitting day, and we bid for a ministerial statement on this subject. We are very keen that the House…27 Apr 2022HANSARDChannel 4 PrivatisationOur TV and radio industry is one of our great success stories, and public service broadcasters such as Channel 4 are central to that success. Our PSBs sit at the heart of our…27 Apr 2022HANSARD Points of OrderWe are awaiting confirmation of whether it will be written or oral. We put in notice of our intention to publish the White Paper tomorrow, and are waiting to hear whether there…27 Apr 2022HANSARD Points of OrderFurther to that point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I was advised by my officials that we had put in for a statement tomorrow.27 Apr 2022HANSARDChannel 4 PrivatisationI agree with the hon. Member about how fantastic our broadcasting sector is—it has unrivalled creativity—and we are seeking fundamentally to preserve that in the reforms that we…27 Apr 2022HANSARDChannel 4 PrivatisationI will not speculate on the nationality of any company. We will be looking at bidders who share our vision for Channel 4, the important role that it plays in investment in our…27 Apr 2022HANSARDChannel 4 PrivatisationMy hon. Friend plays an important role through her work with the all-party parliamentary group for Channel 4, and I am glad for the engagement that we have already had on the…27 Apr 2022HANSARDChannel 4 PrivatisationWe do not think we are putting it at risk. There are a number of things we can do via the PSB remit on quotas for independent production and we would seek to maintain those. We…27 Apr 2022HANSARDChannel 4 PrivatisationThe hon. Lady is right to highlight the great investment that Channel 4 has made in Leeds, which was actually at the encouragement of previous Secretaries of State when we…27 Apr 2022HANSARDChannel 4 PrivatisationI thank my right hon. Friend for his engagement already on this issue and I appreciate the conversations we have had. We will publish the consultation responses tomorrow. As I…27 Apr 2022HANSARDChannel 4 PrivatisationI am desperately grateful for the hon. Gentleman’s sympathy and I am sure I will need it going forward. I would just simply say that the reforms we seek to make are about the…27 Apr 2022HANSARDChannel 4 PrivatisationI thank my right hon. and learned Friend for his question. In recognition of what he says, the reason that previous Secretaries of State looked at this matter was that they could…27 Apr 2022HANSARDChannel 4 PrivatisationI very much welcome the opportunity to talk in this House about “The Crystal Maze” and the fantastic content that Channel 4 has produced over the years. Our reforms are…27 Apr 2022HANSARDMusic Tours: Special Event HauliersI thank the hon. Lady for her interest in this issue. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is not responsible for the overall negotiating position, but as I say we…24 Mar 2022HANSARDMusic Tours: Special Event HauliersThat is not the message that I have heard, but I will be meeting UK Music representatives on Monday; if they share the concerns that the hon. Lady has just expressed, I will be…24 Mar 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsAs I said, I will be meeting UK Music and I am happy to discuss this matter with it. We have provided a huge amount of support to the live music industry throughout the pandemic,…24 Mar 2022HANSARDBroadband and Mobile Coverage: Rural AreasMy hon. Friend is absolutely right: I am absolutely thrilled and delighted that she is asking me about mobile rather than broadband. She raises a really important point about…24 Mar 2022