Gaza: BBC Coverage
Debate between Baroness Twycross and Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee
Baroness Twycross (Lab)
The noble Lord makes the really important point that, when we get these incidents, it can be hugely demoralising for people who are working hard to get that accurate, impartial information. There are two issues. We have to make sure that we understand exactly what went wrong, and the BBC is undertaking a thorough investigation into that. As I mentioned previously, Ofcom and the Secretary of State are very cognisant of the issues and want answers, as I know your Lordships’ House will. But that does not and should not detract, and we need to make sure that we find out the answers and move on, because that accuracy and impartial voice of the BBC in relation to news is critical, not least at this really uncertain time.
Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee (Non-Afl)
My Lords, given the very serious allegations of systemic anti-Semitism and bias, does the Minister agree with me that there is a need to look at the BBC’s complaints process? When I have had to use it in a Northern Ireland context, I have found it opaque, vague and overly complicated. Does she accept that there is a need to look at that?
Baroness Twycross (Lab)
The BBC’s complaints process, in the sense that it is BBC first, is intended to make sure that there is an element of independence from the parts of the organisation that are being investigated. Clearly, if Ofcom has concerns after that happens, that would be looked at. I think the process was set out at the point of the last charter review, and we do not have immediate plans to change that.
Whitehall: Prioritising Performance
Debate between Baroness Twycross and Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee(7 months, 1 week ago)
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Baroness Twycross (Lab)
I thank the noble Lord for his clarification that this is the think tank, which might have been a useful clarification as a first point. The report looks at brand issues, and there is a quote within the report that the Civil Service brand is “battered”. One of the things that the report makes very clear is that, as a Government, we need the best people to get the best results for the country. In Keir Starmer’s message to the Civil Service on his succession to the role of Prime Minister, he made it clear that he knew how much civil servants believe in what they are doing for the country, and he said that they had taught him a great deal about what public service really means.
Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee (Non-Afl)
My Lords, one of the recommendations in the report is on the need for better succession planning for key roles and the need to keep an updated list ready for recruitment exercises. I urge the Minister to give due regard to this recommendation. This comes from my own experience with the Northern Ireland Civil Service. When you have a key person in a role performing an excellent job and he or she leaves, it can leave a huge gap, so this recommendation really is something to take on board.
Baroness Twycross (Lab)
All of us have probably come across points at which people are treated as almost indispensable. Part of the value of people stepping back and having a report of this kind is that we can focus on what those critical single points of failure are. I will feed back the noble Baroness’s comments to the relevant Minister.