Contributions
834 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Media DiversityI believe that the BBC is incredibly conscious of this. I think the numbers may have crept up a little bit, but there is still an awful lot more to do. The BBC has conducted…11 Feb 2020HANSARD Media DiversityI do, and I am about to come on to the very valid points that the hon. Lady made. As of 2019, the proportion of women in the BBC was 47%, and the proportion of BAME people was…11 Feb 2020HANSARD Media DiversityI agree—that is the challenge in data collection, which should be more transparent. The hon. Lady makes a very good point. In the time that is left, I will make some progress. The…11 Feb 2020HANSARD Media DiversityIndeed. It is a great surprise to be giving way to the hon. Gentleman.11 Feb 2020HANSARDBBC Licence FeeI have an awful lot of respect for the hon. Gentleman, but he is missing the point of what this consultation is about. At the risk of repeating myself, it is about whether…06 Feb 2020HANSARDBBC Licence FeeThe beauty of the current model is that there are assurances on funding, as there is a five-year deal. That has never been the case before, but I remind my hon. Friend that the…06 Feb 2020HANSARDBBC Licence FeeMy hon. Friend makes some good points, but we are talking about the decriminalisation consultation, not how the BBC is funded in future. The current model is valid until 2027 and…06 Feb 2020HANSARDBBC Licence FeeThe hon. Gentleman makes a sensible point. The Government strongly support the BBC’s mission to bring high-quality and impartial news to a global audience, including some of the…06 Feb 2020HANSARDBBC Licence FeeMy right hon. Friend is right to ask that question, and that is why we will be discussing how the BBC is funded going forward, but I remind him that the consultation is about…06 Feb 2020HANSARDBBC Licence FeeWhen we look at how the BBC is going to be funded, we will speak to everyone, and all our masters, particularly the general public, will have their say.06 Feb 2020HANSARDBBC Licence FeeI am not surprised that the Magistrates Association has been calling for that. As I said in my answer to my right hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Damian Green) earlier, more…06 Feb 2020HANSARDBBC Licence FeeThe hon. Gentleman is completely correct to raise this matter. S4C, as a public service broadcaster, is currently funded via the licence fee. We will be having conversations about…06 Feb 2020HANSARDBBC Licence FeeMy hon. Friend is right to raise that matter. The licence fee is expensive for some people on the lowest incomes, so we will be introducing a new, simple payment plan. We have had…06 Feb 2020HANSARDBBC Licence FeeAll of the hon. Gentleman’s questions need to be part of a much bigger conversation once we have done this consultation on whether criminalisation of licence fee evasion is fair…06 Feb 2020HANSARDBBC Licence FeeI am delighted to hear how my hon. Friend came about. We should all be grateful that he is the BBC’s responsibility. This is exactly why we are having this consultation. Of course…06 Feb 2020HANSARDBBC Licence FeeI agree with my hon. Friend, who spent many years working for local stations in that sector. It is important that we maintain a local connection with communities via the BBC, and…06 Feb 2020HANSARDBBC Licence FeeMy right hon. Friend makes a fair point, and this is why we are having this consultation, to which he will no doubt contribute. Younger people, especially those I have spoken to…06 Feb 2020HANSARDBBC Licence FeeI do not agree on that point with the hon. Lady. The broadcasting landscape is constantly changing—she is right about that—and this is only going to get faster. Ofcom research…06 Feb 2020HANSARDBBC Licence FeeMy hon. Friend is right: this whole consultation is about whether criminal sanctions are a fair and proportionate system in the current world in which we live.06 Feb 2020HANSARDBBC Licence FeeI am not sure I could disagree more with the hon. Gentleman. The Government are very disappointed with the BBC’s decision to restrict the over-75 licence fee concession to those…06 Feb 2020