Debates between John Whittingdale and Janet Daby during the 2019 Parliament

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Whittingdale and Janet Daby
Wednesday 19th July 2023

(8 months, 2 weeks ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Whittingdale Portrait Sir John Whittingdale
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My hon. Friend is right to stress the importance of digital connectivity to rural communities and businesses. We are pressing ahead apace with Project gigabit, and have appointed our hon. Friend the Member for Barrow and Furness (Simon Fell) as rural connectivity champion. At present, more than 98% of premises in Delyn have access to superfast broadband, while 62% have a gigabit-capable network, and our Project Gigabit procurements are intended to ensure that communities such as Northop and Mold do not miss out on gigabit-capable connection.

Janet Daby Portrait Janet Daby (Lewisham East) (Lab)
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6. What recent progress she has made on securing the UK’s association with Horizon Europe.

BBC: Dyson Report

Debate between John Whittingdale and Janet Daby
Monday 24th May 2021

(2 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Whittingdale Portrait Mr Whittingdale
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There is no question but that even before Lord Dyson’s report was published there was a widespread feeling that the culture in the BBC needed to change—that it was made up too much of people of the same mindset and the same background and from the same part of the world. That is something that I believe the new leadership—under the recently appointed chair, Richard Sharp, and the director-general—are aware of and intend to address.

Janet Daby Portrait Janet Daby (Lewisham East) (Lab) [V]
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I am very grateful for this urgent question. In its response to Lord Dyson’s report, the BBC board has said that it will review and assess

“the robustness and independence of whistleblowing processes”.

How important does the Secretary of State consider independence on whistleblowing, including the protection of whistleblowers, to be?

John Whittingdale Portrait Mr Whittingdale
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I regard it as absolutely essential in not just the BBC but all public bodies. We need to make sure that, in future, if somebody blows the whistle and exposes malpractice in the BBC, the consequence is that somebody else gets fired, not that they do.