BBC
Debate between Earl of Courtown and Lord Lea of Crondall(8 years, 2 months ago)
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The Earl of Courtown
The noble Baroness, Lady Deech, will know that I responded to a Question on this exact subject some time ago. The noble Baroness also mentioned the charter and obviously feels that we should change our position on using it. But the Government feel that the charter is the right way forward. It has served us well. The charter review has heard from this House and, as I said earlier, the Government have listened to many Questions, debates and Select Committee reports on this. As I said earlier, there will be opportunities for further scrutiny of the charter and the framework agreement, and there will be a debate in this House in October. The noble Lord, Lord Foster, asked whether there would be an opportunity for a vote; that is up to the usual channels. The BBC is under royal charter for a reason: its independence. This is fundamental to the BBC’s work and it has consistently argued that it wants a robust charter review on a predictable timetable. It would not be in the best interests of the BBC if carefully negotiated positions could be undone. On Ofcom, this was advised both by committees and by the Clementi review, and we feel that Ofcom is the best regulator to use.
Lord Lea of Crondall (Lab)
My Lords, I am sure that, in general, this side of the House will always be in favour of transparency on salaries in every sector of the economy; we have advocated that. But can the Minister advise further about the rationale of demanding salary publicity for people in one sector of the broadcasting industry? I call it publicity because is not the idea to somehow spotlight the BBC salaries in some way for some purpose or another? Is it to whip up some sort of resentment about these salaries? Is it not true that, on the level playing field of the private sector, it is a total illusion that the public, who may pay the salaries of the BBC, do not pay the salaries of people who work in advertising agencies. Is this not an illusion about how our economy works and will it not prove untenable in the medium term to have this requirement without a similar requirement for the rest of the broadcasting industry?
The Earl of Courtown
My Lords, I was glad to hear that the noble Lord, Lord Lea of Crondall, welcomes transparency. But the fact is that we are talking about the licence fee holders’ money. They demand transparency, and one of the great points about the charter review is to have more transparency. It is quite fair that the threshold, which was set at £150,000, is in line with that for BBC executives and the Civil Service, and is just above the PM’s salary. I am not sure whether the noble Lord is aware, but this will be done in bands, and initially the band for salaries will be £50,000 before it goes to the actual salary. I cannot agree with the noble Lord; transparency demands that we are open for everybody to see.
Cultural Property (Armed Conflicts) Bill [HL]
Debate between Earl of Courtown and Lord Lea of Crondall
Lord Lea of Crondall (Lab)
Before the noble Baroness leaves the point about Yemen raised by the noble Baroness—
The Earl of Courtown (Con)
The noble Lord has not been in the Chamber for the whole of this debate.
Lord Lea of Crondall
I do not need to be in the Chamber for the whole of the debate in order to ask a question.
Companies: Remuneration
Debate between Earl of Courtown and Lord Lea of Crondall
The Earl of Courtown
I thank the noble Lord for his question. He raised a number of points, including the national living wage, which is about to come into force. We must also remember that the national minimum wage has had one of the biggest increases in its history. We take into account all the matters that he raised. He referred also to employee engagement and how important that is in the workplace.
Lord Lea of Crondall (Lab)
My Lords, is the Minister aware that, at a time of fast economic growth for several decades, the ratio of remuneration from the top to the bottom in companies—as a member of the Royal Commission on the Distribution of Income and Wealth I remember the numbers going back to the start of the 20th century—came down from 100:1, to 90:1, to 80:1, to 70:1, winding up at 15:1 or something like that? Would he not agree with the Labour Party’s manifesto that there should at least be workers’ representatives on boards’ remuneration committees?
The Earl of Courtown
At least the noble Lord, Lord Lea of Crondall, has asked me a question that I can answer. The answer is, of course, no. My right honourable friend the Chancellor of Exchequer has been working throughout his period as Chancellor to reduce inequality.
Sport: Doping and Illegal Gambling
Debate between Earl of Courtown and Lord Lea of Crondall(8 years, 9 months ago)
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Lord Lea of Crondall (Lab)
My Lords, is it not obvious that this is a global question that needs a solution on a global basis by some sort of global regulatory body?
The Earl of Courtown
My Lords, there is a global body: WADA. The noble Lord will be very glad to hear that it pays a lot of attention to what we do over here.
Land Registry
Debate between Earl of Courtown and Lord Lea of Crondall
Lord Lea of Crondall
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to privatise the Land Registry.
The Earl of Courtown (Con)
My Lords, in the Autumn Statement last year, my right honourable friend the Chancellor announced the Government’s intent to consult on options to move operations from the Land Registry into the private sector from 2017. The Government are currently looking at the best options to achieve their objectives. No final decisions will be made on the future of the operating model of the Land Registry until a public consultation has been completed.
Lord Lea of Crondall (Lab)
My Lords, Ministers have referred to the rationale for this decision in terms of asking the public and ourselves what overriding reason there is for the Land Registry to stay in the public sector, which is an ideological position. Two questions arise from that. First, I return the compliment and ask: on what grounds is the noble Earl parting company with William the Conqueror who, in 1086, ordained the compilation of the Domesday Book of all land holdings, successfully completing this as a state function? Indeed, it is a natural monopoly like tax collection, and as such is identified in all economics textbooks as the classic exception to the normal case for competitive and profit-maximising private enterprise. Secondly, there was nothing on this in the Government’s manifesto and according to a recent poll it is opposed by 95% of the British people, so how come the Government announced their intention—as the Minister said—to sell it for a sum of £1 billion, according to the FT, with only the flimsiest lip service paid to protecting the integrity of the register?
The Earl of Courtown
My Lords, I am not sure I have any relationship with William the Conqueror. Seriously, the noble Lord asked a number of questions but in essence asked why we are doing this. As he is aware, the Government continually review all their assets to ensure that public services operate efficiently and effectively for the taxpayer. A sale of part or all of the Land Registry operations is expected to deliver a capital receipt for the Government. That can be invested elsewhere for the benefit of the taxpayer. Where there is no strong policy reason for continued public ownership of an asset, it is right that the Government look at the merits of sale.
United Kingdom and the European Union
Debate between Earl of Courtown and Lord Lea of Crondall
The Earl of Courtown
I think there are far too many hands around, to be perfectly honest, my Lords. My right honourable friend the Prime Minister has spoken to all 27 member states on this issue. It is just as important to speak to some of the smaller states as it is to speak to the larger ones.
Lord Lea of Crondall (Lab)
Does the noble Earl agree that some members of his party are tending to the view that if Europe did not exist we would have to invent it? Recent events, ranging from refugees to wider international questions, demonstrate that. Will the White Paper that is the result of all this have to demonstrate also that we are aware of all the legitimate points being made by the other 28 states—or 29, including the EEA and so on—and that we need to find consensus among all of them?