Contributions
2,569 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDChannel 4 PrivatisationI am not sure that all my noble friend’s constituents might phrase it like that. As I said to the noble Lord, Lord Bassam, the risk of doing nothing is to leave Channel 4 reliant…05 Apr 2022HANSARDChannel 4 PrivatisationOn the noble Lord’s first point, the responses to the consultation will be published alongside the White Paper to which I alluded in my initial Answer. I disagree deeply with the…05 Apr 2022HANSARDChannel 4 PrivatisationAt the moment, Channel 4 is uniquely constrained; it can neither borrow nor benefit from private investment in the way that other companies can. We see how you can be a privately…05 Apr 2022HANSARDChannel 4 PrivatisationI am grateful to my noble friend for that reminder; he is absolutely right. It is important that our broadcasting sector continues to innovate and to remain competitive. It is…05 Apr 2022HANSARDChannel 4 PrivatisationLike the sale of any Government asset, the sale of Channel 4 will need to meet a careful assessment process to ensure value for money for the taxpayer. Further details will be set…05 Apr 2022HANSARDChannel 4 PrivatisationChannel 4 did a fantastic job in broadcasting the Paralympics, and indeed in bringing the entire country together to cheer on Emma Raducanu in the US Open final. We want it to…05 Apr 2022HANSARDChannel 4 PrivatisationI must say that I find that a weak argument from the noble Lord. The Government are capable of doing many things. There is an urgency in addressing this issue so that Channel 4 is…05 Apr 2022HANSARDLegislative Reform (Renewal of National Radio Multiplex Licences) Order 2022That the Grand Committee do consider the Legislative Reform (Renewal of National Radio Multiplex Licences) Order 2022. Relevant document: 21st Report from the Regulatory Reform…04 Apr 2022HANSARDLegislative Reform (Renewal of National Radio Multiplex Licences) Order 2022My Lords, as I outlined at the beginning, this is the result of significant consultation, which agreed very much with the Government’s approach. We want to provide national…04 Apr 2022HANSARDLegislative Reform (Renewal of National Radio Multiplex Licences) Order 2022My Lords, I am grateful to both noble Lords for their comments and their support for the order. As ever, with a brisk debate such as this, it can be difficult to scribble down all…04 Apr 2022HANSARDLegislative Reform (Renewal of National Radio Multiplex Licences) Order 2022My Lords, I am pleased to introduce a statutory instrument which was laid before your Lordships’ House on 31 January 2022: the draft Legislative Reform (Renewal of National Radio…04 Apr 2022HANSARDBritish Museum: Ethiopian Sacred Altar TabletsThe noble Lord touches on the core sensitivity of the matter. Some of these items are considered so sacred and holy that they can be looked at only by Ethiopian Orthodox priests,…30 Mar 2022HANSARDBritish Museum: Ethiopian Sacred Altar TabletsMy Lords, the items have a complicated provenance. They were indeed taken by British troops after the expedition, but some of the items in the collection were themselves stolen by…30 Mar 2022HANSARDBritish Museum: Ethiopian Sacred Altar TabletsMy Lords, I had the pleasure of addressing the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the United Nations yesterday where there was a special parliamentary briefing from UNESCO on this…30 Mar 2022HANSARDBritish Museum: Ethiopian Sacred Altar TabletsMy Lords, the museum is independent of the Government; it is up to the trustees. The Government support the trustees in their earnest work and the discussions they are having on…30 Mar 2022HANSARDBritish Museum: Ethiopian Sacred Altar TabletsMy Lords, the British Museum operates independently of government, meaning that decisions relating to the care and management of its collections, including these tablets, are a…30 Mar 2022HANSARDBritish Museum: Ethiopian Sacred Altar TabletsMy Lords, the noble and right reverend Lord alludes to the complexity of this case, and the 150 year-old matter that it concerns. The expedition to which he refers was, of course,…30 Mar 2022HANSARDBritish Museum: Ethiopian Sacred Altar TabletsI am grateful to my noble friend. I have had no such discussions with my Danish counterpart, but my noble friend’s question does allude to the complexities of these issues. There…30 Mar 2022HANSARDBritish Museum: Ethiopian Sacred Altar TabletsI completely agree with my noble friend, and am grateful to him for alluding to the British Museum’s work in this area. The pages on its website that explain both these items and,…30 Mar 2022HANSARDBritish Museum: Ethiopian Sacred Altar TabletsThe right reverend Prelate is right that these items remain of enduring importance to people, and the British Museum is very sensitively discussing those matters with the…30 Mar 2022