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Punjabi Community in Britain

We have had the argument before. A straightforward face-to-face meeting with the ONS should resolve the matter. We simply want to reflect the legal decisions that have been taken to date. Secondly, maintaining Punjabi culture and language has been one of the long-standing concerns of the community and our all-party group. Over the past decade, with the support of the Government, but driven largely by the voluntary efforts of the Punjabi community itself, Punjabi culture has not just blossomed, it has permeated our whole society—from dance, bhangra, music, traditional and modern, to film, drama, theatre and television, the most recent programme in that regard being "The Family", which was almost an addictive watching experience. That has happened as a result of, and thanks to, the major contribution by the Punjabi media. Desi Radio, for example, is a community radio station funded partly by Government initiatives when it was set up and awarded a radio licence. It has demonstrated by its success how radio can be used to maintain and promote culture. Punjab Radio and others have made their contribution as well. There is a continuing need to support access to radio licences and wavelengths for community radio, and to consider the support that needs to be given to sustain them in the long term.