Sky: 21st Century Fox Takeover Bid Debate

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Sky: 21st Century Fox Takeover Bid

Damian Collins Excerpts
Monday 12th December 2016

(7 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Matt Hancock Portrait Matt Hancock
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It is enjoyable to be at the rerun of one of the right hon. Gentleman’s greatest hits. He says that my position today is complex, but actually it is very simple: we have not yet received a formal notification, and when we do, the Secretary of State will have 10 days to consider, under the Enterprise Act and other legislation, whether it is necessary to take action.

Damian Collins Portrait Damian Collins (Folkestone and Hythe) (Con)
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At this early stage, is the Department considering whether some of the conditions that Ofcom attached to the deal last time, such as the guarantee of editorial independence for Sky News, would be required this time around, given the restructuring of the Murdoch companies?

Matt Hancock Portrait Matt Hancock
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The notification was given to the stock market on Friday morning, but no formal notification to the competition authorities has been received, so it is fair to say that we are quite early on in the process, but all things that it is appropriate to consider will be considered.