Media: Ownership Debate

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Baroness Scotland of Asthal

Main Page: Baroness Scotland of Asthal (Labour - Life peer)

Media: Ownership

Baroness Scotland of Asthal Excerpts
Monday 10th October 2011

(13 years, 2 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Rawlings Portrait Baroness Rawlings
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My Lords, I would like to be able to give a more positive answer to my noble friend Lord Fowler but, as he and many noble Lords know only too well, we are at present having sensitive discussions. He is aware, too, that there is new legislation in the pipeline and we will be receiving a new communications Bill during this Parliament. However, I agree with him, as does the Secretary of State, that too much political consideration has been taken, and as a result the Secretary of State said on 14 September at the Royal Television Society conference that he was looking at whether we should have the same approach for media plurality law as we do for competition law. It could be better for these decisions not to be taken by politicians, as my noble friend so rightly said, and we are exploring this option. These are early days and no decisions have been taken. As I said, we will consider the recommendations on this.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal Portrait Baroness Scotland of Asthal
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My Lords, why have Her Majesty’s Government refused to use Section 58(4) of the Enterprise Act to fill the gaps that were clearly identified during the BSkyB bid?

Baroness Rawlings Portrait Baroness Rawlings
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My Lords, I am afraid that I cannot remember which section the noble and learned Baroness was talking about, but we are fully aware of what she asked. The point was made by Ofcom that media plurality public interest tests can be triggered only by merger and therefore do not cover growth, which is the area that she was talking about.