Children: Television

Debate between Baroness Benjamin and Lord Newby

Tuesday 1st July 2014 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Benjamin (LD)]

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper. In doing so, I declare an interest as a children’s television practitioner.

[Lord Newby (LD)]

My Lords, the Government are committed to supporting the creative industries and have introduced three new tax reliefs for animation, video games and high-end television. A fourth relief for theatre production is due to be implemented in September. Any proposal for a new relief must be assessed for its effectiveness, wider economic impact, ability to stand up against abuse and the cost to the Exchequer.

[Baroness Benjamin]

I thank my noble friend for his Answer. Children’s television is not part of the success story of the creative industries because, despite the fact that there are about 30 dedicated children’s channels, only 1% of new children’s programmes are made here in the UK; the rest come from abroad. Producers cannot fully fund their UK productions. Children’s television is in terrible need of assistance; it is struggling. Does my noble friend not think that to have a tax credit for children’s live action productions would boost the economy, boost the industry, help with exports and encourage international investment, as it has done successfully for film, drama and animation?

[Lord Newby]

My Lords, I am sure that all those arguments will be deployed forcefully by my noble friend and the industry body, which is about to begin discussions with the Treasury to make its case. The reliefs that we have introduced have led to at least one children’s TV programme—an animation in Wales called “Llan-ar-goll-en”—being granted relief, so the beginnings of relief are already in place.

Payday Loans: Advertisements

Debate between Baroness Benjamin and Lord Newby

Thursday 3rd April 2014 Lords Chamber

[Lord Newby]

My Lords, I think it is right first to set out the scale of the problem. I am not doubting that there are issues, which is why the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice is looking explicitly at this matter. However, to set the issue in context, payday loan adverts in 2012 comprised 0.6% of TV ads seen by children aged four to 15, and, last year, all personal debt ads on children’s television amounted to 0.2% of total ad spend on children’s television. I am not saying that it is not an issue, but the number of ads being watched by children in this area is relatively modest—hardly more than one a week.

[Baroness Benjamin (LD)]

My Lords, payday loans are a form of grooming. So, to protect our children, should there not be an additional clause in the Advertising Standards Authority’s children’s code that refers to the scheduling of adverts that encourage potentially harmful lifestyle choices such as easy access to borrowing, including payday loans?

[Lord Newby]

My Lords, that is exactly why the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice is looking at this issue. We expect to hear from it in the next few months and there may be consequences for the ASA code. I have some difficulties about the use of the word “grooming” in this context. It has come to have a specific meaning in relation to sexual exploitation, and, whatever the problems with payday loans—and there are very considerable problems—they are not of that degree of difficulty.