My Lords, I very much hope that this is the last time I will speak in what has been a very protracted series of debates seeing this Bill through to its passage down the corridor. I find myself in a very odd, paradoxical situation. The noble Lord, Lord Whitty, is...

My Lords, I very much hope that this is the last time I will speak in what has been a very protracted series of debates seeing this Bill through to its passage down the corridor. I find myself in a very odd, paradoxical situation. The noble Lord, Lord Whitty, is...

The noble Lord, Lord De Mauley, made his point extremely eloquently, and it leaves me fairly conflicted. My experience of 20 years at Anglia Television makes me realise how difficult it is to create a financial model that works in this area. I thought long and hard about something that...

The noble Lord, Lord De Mauley, made his point extremely eloquently, and it leaves me fairly conflicted. My experience of 20 years at Anglia Television makes me realise how difficult it is to create a financial model that works in this area. I thought long and hard about something that...

My Lords, I again declare my interest as deputy chairman of Channel 4. I will try to clarify the situation, as seen from the channel. First, there is an absolute, genuine, self-denying ordinance. Channel 4, as the noble Baroness said, was created as a route to market for independent production....

My Lords, I again declare my interest as deputy chairman of Channel 4. I will try to clarify the situation, as seen from the channel. First, there is an absolute, genuine, self-denying ordinance. Channel 4, as the noble Baroness said, was created as a route to market for independent production....

132A: Page 35, line 4, at end insert— "( ) must be made subject to such conditions as OFCOM consider appropriate for securing the standards objectives in section 319(2)(c) and (d) (impartiality and accuracy in programmes included in television and radio services),"

132A: Page 35, line 4, at end insert— "( ) must be made subject to such conditions as OFCOM consider appropriate for securing the standards objectives in section 319(2)(c) and (d) (impartiality and accuracy in programmes included in television and radio services),"

My Lords, I apologise for the last-minute changing of a couple of words, on the advice of parliamentary counsel, but in essence this is very much the same amendment as published. This is both a small thing and a very big thing. My noble friend Lord Bragg spoke about it...

My Lords, I apologise for the last-minute changing of a couple of words, on the advice of parliamentary counsel, but in essence this is very much the same amendment as published. This is both a small thing and a very big thing. My noble friend Lord Bragg spoke about it...

I ask the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, to clarify one aspect of his argument for me, because I am genuinely puzzled by it. The noble Lord is an experienced lawyer, who has been in this House for a dozen years and seen a great amount of legislation flow through it....

I ask the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, to clarify one aspect of his argument for me, because I am genuinely puzzled by it. The noble Lord is an experienced lawyer, who has been in this House for a dozen years and seen a great amount of legislation flow through it....

I gather I am allowed to stand by way of explanation. My point is that as a House—and I certainly speak for myself—we have been subjected to an extraordinary degree of lobbying. The problem is that we have had no opportunity to look at that lobbying in a sensible and...

I gather I am allowed to stand by way of explanation. My point is that as a House—and I certainly speak for myself—we have been subjected to an extraordinary degree of lobbying. The problem is that we have had no opportunity to look at that lobbying in a sensible and...

My Lords, perhaps I may add to what the noble Lord, Lord Whitty, has just said, because I basically agree with just about everything he said. I have been enormously influenced during the Bill’s passage by the noble Lord, Lord Lucas, and by several things that the noble Lord, Lord...

My Lords, perhaps I may add to what the noble Lord, Lord Whitty, has just said, because I basically agree with just about everything he said. I have been enormously influenced during the Bill’s passage by the noble Lord, Lord Lucas, and by several things that the noble Lord, Lord...

I support everything that has been said. In Ireland, where I live, a report for the Government recently suggested that, counterintuitively, it was more important to have good, high-speed broadband access in rural areas than in city centres. Such access has already affected the migration of quite a lot of...

I support everything that has been said. In Ireland, where I live, a report for the Government recently suggested that, counterintuitively, it was more important to have good, high-speed broadband access in rural areas than in city centres. Such access has already affected the migration of quite a lot of...

Will the Minister give us an indication of his conversations with the Law Society? In what ways or by what means can the Law Society prevent its members acting in a way that hardly appears to be in accordance with the normal duties of a solicitor?

Will the Minister give us an indication of his conversations with the Law Society? In what ways or by what means can the Law Society prevent its members acting in a way that hardly appears to be in accordance with the normal duties of a solicitor?

I bow to no one in my admiration for the laser-like precision of the noble Baroness, Lady Buscombe, but I would like to clarify something that bothers me. Is the noble Baroness suggesting that, in the event that broadcast material that had been turned down or not used by the...

I bow to no one in my admiration for the laser-like precision of the noble Baroness, Lady Buscombe, but I would like to clarify something that bothers me. Is the noble Baroness suggesting that, in the event that broadcast material that had been turned down or not used by the...

My Lords, I want to clarify something that the noble Earl, Lord Erroll, just said. He rightly pointed out that the bulk of copyrights are owned by a limited number of very large corporations. We in the copyright world call them investors. They supply the capital that makes the production...

My Lords, I want to clarify something that the noble Earl, Lord Erroll, just said. He rightly pointed out that the bulk of copyrights are owned by a limited number of very large corporations. We in the copyright world call them investors. They supply the capital that makes the production...

I just wanted to make a point that I probably should have made in introducing my amendments. Having sat in this Chamber for 13 years, I know the simple reality of how long it takes to bring primary legislation before this House. We have to find some means of ensuring...

I just wanted to make a point that I probably should have made in introducing my amendments. Having sat in this Chamber for 13 years, I know the simple reality of how long it takes to bring primary legislation before this House. We have to find some means of ensuring...

Perhaps I may speak to my Amendments 211C to 211J, as amendments to government Amendment 211B, and Amendment 212 in the same group. Some while ago, my noble friend Lord Bragg and I looked very carefully at what was originally proposed by the Government, and considered that we were perpetually...

Perhaps I may speak to my Amendments 211C to 211J, as amendments to government Amendment 211B, and Amendment 212 in the same group. Some while ago, my noble friend Lord Bragg and I looked very carefully at what was originally proposed by the Government, and considered that we were perpetually...

I promised the last time I spoke that I would not delay the Committee on this issue, but I want to assure the noble Lord, Lord Howard, that I am not remotely interested in impinging on the dignity of the House or of Parliament or on the processes that we...

I promised the last time I spoke that I would not delay the Committee on this issue, but I want to assure the noble Lord, Lord Howard, that I am not remotely interested in impinging on the dignity of the House or of Parliament or on the processes that we...

My Lords, before the Minister responds, it might be helpful if I bring to the Committee’s attention the excellent report published yesterday that was produced by the House of Lords Communications Select Committee, under the chairmanship of the noble Lord, Lord Fowler, entitled, The British Film and Television Industries—Decline or...

My Lords, before the Minister responds, it might be helpful if I bring to the Committee’s attention the excellent report published yesterday that was produced by the House of Lords Communications Select Committee, under the chairmanship of the noble Lord, Lord Fowler, entitled, The British Film and Television Industries—Decline or...

I speak as the chancellor of the Open University. I absolutely see both sides of this argument but I want to put another point to the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones. It is incumbent on all institutions to seek responsibility from those who take advantage of those institutions. For an institution...

I speak as the chancellor of the Open University. I absolutely see both sides of this argument but I want to put another point to the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones. It is incumbent on all institutions to seek responsibility from those who take advantage of those institutions. For an institution...