Contributions
1,036 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD BBC Commissioning: OversightI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman, and I agree that nobody who is in receipt of public money or who holds a senior position in a publicly owned and publicly funded organisation…24 Oct 2023HANSARD BBC Commissioning: OversightIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Robertson. I congratulate the hon. Member for East Londonderry (Mr Campbell) on securing the debate and on raising what are…24 Oct 2023HANSARDBBC Licence Fee Non-Payment (Decriminalisation for Over-75s) BillI come to this debate slightly late, as I am actually responding to a debate that took place almost a year ago to the day. In that debate, my hon. Friend the Member for…20 Oct 2023HANSARDBBC Licence Fee Non-Payment (Decriminalisation for Over-75s) BillI will give way, perhaps for the last time.20 Oct 2023HANSARDBBC Licence Fee Non-Payment (Decriminalisation for Over-75s) BillI will take advantage of the hon. Gentleman’s intervention to make two points. First, he will be aware—and it is a cast-iron principle—that the Government do not interfere in the…20 Oct 2023HANSARDBBC Licence Fee Non-Payment (Decriminalisation for Over-75s) BillIf my hon. Friend will forgive me, that is a point I intend to address in some substance a little later on. He makes an argument that many have made, and I understand it. The…20 Oct 2023HANSARDBBC Licence Fee Non-Payment (Decriminalisation for Over-75s) BillI agree with my hon. Friend. The issue of impartiality is central to the BBC’s reputation, and it is in the top line of the public purposes of the BBC contained in the charter. It…20 Oct 2023HANSARDBBC Licence Fee Non-Payment (Decriminalisation for Over-75s) BillI can assure my hon. Friend that those will be taken into account. He is right that that is a factor that increases the income of the BBC. However, it has to be balanced against…20 Oct 2023HANSARDBBC Licence Fee Non-Payment (Decriminalisation for Over-75s) BillIt has always been the case that the licence fee is required to watch live TV. It does not extend to the other things, however much some people might suggest it should. That has…20 Oct 2023HANSARDBBC Licence Fee Non-Payment (Decriminalisation for Over-75s) BillI would slightly disagree with my right hon. Friend —[Interruption.] The law does not say that someone can be sent to prison for not paying their licence fee. If they are…20 Oct 2023HANSARDBBC Licence Fee Non-Payment (Decriminalisation for Over-75s) BillI will give way to my hon. Friend the Member for Bracknell (James Sunderland), who has not yet had a chance to speak.20 Oct 2023HANSARDBBC Licence Fee Non-Payment (Decriminalisation for Over-75s) BillIt has always been said that if the BBC were funded directly from the Treasury out of general taxation, that would make it susceptible to political pressure, and it would reduce…20 Oct 2023HANSARDBBC Licence Fee Non-Payment (Decriminalisation for Over-75s) BillThe hon. Gentleman is right on both points. He is right that enforcement action has largely not been taken by the BBC against over-75s who have not acquired a television…20 Oct 2023HANSARDBBC Licence Fee Non-Payment (Decriminalisation for Over-75s) BillIn the licence fee settlement, which is written into the charter, I froze the licence fee for two years and then said that it should return to increasing in line with inflation,…20 Oct 2023HANSARDBBC Licence Fee Non-Payment (Decriminalisation for Over-75s) BillI recall it very well because I was the Secretary of State at the time, so I was quite involved in that particular negotiation. To return to the point of the licence fee, the…20 Oct 2023HANSARDBBC Licence Fee Non-Payment (Decriminalisation for Over-75s) BillIf people fail to pay their licence fee, it is a matter for criminal prosecution, but as the BBC is responsible for the collection of the licence fee, it is a matter of choice as…20 Oct 2023HANSARD Proposed Merger of Three UK and VodafoneIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship this afternoon, Sir George. I congratulate the hon. Member for Stockport (Navendu Mishra) on securing the debate. It has been an…19 Sept 2023HANSARDAccess to Broadband ServicesOfcom has powers to intervene if conditions are not being properly complied with. If the hon. Lady is dissatisfied with Ofcom’s response, I encourage her to contact them directly…06 Sept 2023HANSARDAccess to Broadband ServicesIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Christopher. I thank the hon. Member for Stirling (Alyn Smith) for obtaining the debate and setting the subject out in an…06 Sept 2023HANSARDAccess to Broadband ServicesI will come to the particular points that the hon. Lady raised and, indeed, points raised by other Members during the debate, so I am not trying to duck those at all. Wales has…06 Sept 2023