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My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend on the amendment—I am now rowing back frantically—on a very important issue. It is so important, in fact, that the Select Committee on Communications is currently engaged in an inquiry on precisely this—the digital switchover—although a number of reasons have been adduced as...

My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend on the amendment—I am now rowing back frantically—on a very important issue. It is so important, in fact, that the Select Committee on Communications is currently engaged in an inquiry on precisely this—the digital switchover—although a number of reasons have been adduced as...

My Lords, I am the chairman of the Select Committee on Communications which made the proposal that the Government are acting upon, so I do not intend to jump overboard at this point. I believe it is a sensible proposal, and I will continue to support it. I understand what...

My Lords, I am the chairman of the Select Committee on Communications which made the proposal that the Government are acting upon, so I do not intend to jump overboard at this point. I believe it is a sensible proposal, and I will continue to support it. I understand what...

I rise briefly to support what the noble Baroness has said. The main point regarding the important providers of regional or local news is that we want the system to work well. ITV is crucial in this, and it seems to me that it has made a good offer. On...

I rise briefly to support what the noble Baroness has said. The main point regarding the important providers of regional or local news is that we want the system to work well. ITV is crucial in this, and it seems to me that it has made a good offer. On...

My Lords, as the noble Lord, Lord Puttnam, indicated, we have a new situation because of the consortia coming together, and perhaps underlying this is a certain suspicion of the press. I used to be chairman of the Yorkshire Post. We were called Yorkshire Conservative Newspapers but had to change...

My Lords, as the noble Lord, Lord Puttnam, indicated, we have a new situation because of the consortia coming together, and perhaps underlying this is a certain suspicion of the press. I used to be chairman of the Yorkshire Post. We were called Yorkshire Conservative Newspapers but had to change...

The point made by the noble Lord, Lord Puttnam, is important and I shall deal with my view on it in a moment. I have some sympathy with the case put by the Minister. I was told that the industry supports the amendment to get rid of Clause 17. I...

The point made by the noble Lord, Lord Puttnam, is important and I shall deal with my view on it in a moment. I have some sympathy with the case put by the Minister. I was told that the industry supports the amendment to get rid of Clause 17. I...

Do I understand from the Minister’s remarks that the answer to my question is yes—that Ofcom can in fact advocate more public spending in this particular cause?

Do I understand from the Minister’s remarks that the answer to my question is yes—that Ofcom can in fact advocate more public spending in this particular cause?

I should like to echo one or two of the points that my noble friend has just put. Exactly like him, I seek guidance on what this section means. As the noble Lord knows, I am a strong supporter of public service broadcasting—not just the BBC but Channel 4, ITV...

I should like to echo one or two of the points that my noble friend has just put. Exactly like him, I seek guidance on what this section means. As the noble Lord knows, I am a strong supporter of public service broadcasting—not just the BBC but Channel 4, ITV...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Puttnam, referred to the report by the Select Committee on Communications, The British Film and Television Industries—Decline or Opportunity?. I say, slightly counter to what the noble Lord has just said, that a great deal of the evidence that came to us from those...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Puttnam, referred to the report by the Select Committee on Communications, The British Film and Television Industries—Decline or Opportunity?. I say, slightly counter to what the noble Lord has just said, that a great deal of the evidence that came to us from those...

The noble Lord mentions camcorders. I agree with him entirely. It was for that reason that we made a proposal in the Select Committee report, which the noble Lord, Lord Puttnam, has just mentioned, that there should be a specific offence covering camcorder crime. Some of the arguments that are...

The noble Lord mentions camcorders. I agree with him entirely. It was for that reason that we made a proposal in the Select Committee report, which the noble Lord, Lord Puttnam, has just mentioned, that there should be a specific offence covering camcorder crime. Some of the arguments that are...