Broadcasting

Debate between Lord Watson of Wyre Forest and Lord Vaizey of Didcot

Tuesday 18th October 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Watson]

We will of course take on board my hon. Friend’s wise advice.

[Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage) (Con)]

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

[Mr Watson]

Hmm, yes.

[Mr Vaizey]

I am sorry to shout so dramatically, but I took on board what the hon. Gentleman said—I listen to every word he says—about his ear infection and I wanted to grab his attention. May I point out that the money from the BBC television licence fee that was used for broadband was actually the surplus left over from Labour’s highly successful digital switchover programme? That programme was so successful that it underspent its budget, and we used the surplus to pursue our own extremely successful broadband programme.

[Mr Watson]

I am being slightly diverted from the motion. I have only been in this role for 10 days, so I may not have my facts entirely right, but I think that the £630 million that my hon. Friend the Member for Wrexham (Ian C. Lucas) described has also been underspent to the tune of £60 million. It would be very useful if the Government could give that money back to the BBC so that it could be put into diverse broadcasting such as children’s broadcasting, in which the right hon. Gentleman and I both have an interest.