Lord Grocott
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy on the availability of major national sporting listed events on free-to-air television.
Viscount Younger of Leckie
The Government remain committed to the policy of ensuring that key sporting events can be made available to as many television viewers as possible on free-to-air television. That is why some events are protected by law as listed events or the crown jewels, as they are commonly known. As we have seen only recently, the whole nation comes together for events such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games as well as Wimbledon and the Grand National, reflecting our rich and diverse national heritage going far beyond the sport itself.
Lord Grocott
My Lords, is it not crystal clear that one of the principal reasons for the spectacular success of the Olympics nationwide was precisely because they were available live on free-to-air national television? At the very least can we be assured that, as regards future Olympics, which so far are assured to be on free-to-air television only until 2020, the Government will work to secure that they are available beyond that? However, we should go a little further, as the David Davies committee recommended a couple of years ago that the listed events should be strengthened and, indeed, extended. Will the Government implement that committee’s recommendations? In particular, would it not be great to have a few test matches back on free-to-air television?
Viscount Younger of Leckie
I thank the noble Lord for that question. I should clarify that at the moment we have no plans to reopen the list. In 2010, the Government announced that they would not pursue the recommendations made by the David Davies report in 2008 but that they would review the position after the completion of digital switchover. Having said that, I have taken note of the noble Lord’s comments about the Olympics, the coverage of which was hugely successful, and about the cricket.
Lord Addington
My Lords, does my noble friend agree that when sporting bodies are offered large amounts of money for the exclusive coverage of events, it is often very difficult for them to turn it down in the short term, and that it is the job of government to make sure that those bodies look long-term at issues such as participation and information about their sports, as well as at short-term funding projects? That should be put into the crown jewels process.
Viscount Younger of Leckie
My noble friend makes a valid point, but I should say that the sale of sports rights is a commercial matter between the broadcasters and the rights owners, and the Government do not intervene in this process.
Lord Tebbit
Does my noble friend not agree that the intellectual property, if one might call it that, of a test match, hockey match or any other match belongs to those who have organised it and are playing that game, and it should not be the business of the Government to seek some means of lowering the income to those people by pushing and shoving them on to a free-to-air channel? After all, we do not do that with films, do we? We do not say that the film maker must give his film free to the local cinemas. Why should those who play football or cricket be pushed around in that manner?
Viscount Younger of Leckie
I do not think that the noble Lord is right about people being pushed around. However, this is not particularly an issue for government but more an issue between sporting rights-holders and the broadcasters themselves.
Lord Faulkner of Worcester
My Lords, the Minister is absolutely right to say that one of successes of the Olympics was due to the television coverage on the free-to-air channel. Will he take this opportunity to pay tribute to the BBC for the quality of its broadcasting of the Olympics, which in my view, and I imagine the view of many Members of your Lordships’ House, was absolutely outstanding?
Viscount Younger of Leckie
I am delighted that the noble Lord brought up that point. I said on Tuesday, in answer to a different Question, that I thought the coverage on television was absolutely outstanding, including the previews and reviews of past Olympics. The editing was outstanding, and I take the noble Lord’s point.
Baroness Hamwee
My Lords, the Paralympics were broadcast on Channel 4. Seeing them opened the eyes of many of us to a number of exciting sports. Is the Minister aware of any plans, spurred on by government or among the broadcasters, to broadcast more of those sports?
Viscount Younger of Leckie
Again, I cannot comment on the future of the list itself, but I absolutely take note of the fact—it has been said elsewhere—that a number of sports from the Olympics have received a much higher profile. That includes the Paralympic sports and sport for women. We should remember the likes of Jessica Ennis, Ellie Simmonds, Kath Grainger and Sarah Storey. I have no doubt that these sports, Paralympic and women’s sports, will be included if there is a review in 2013.