Media: Ownership

Lord Borrie Excerpts

Thursday 11th November 2010 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Rawlings]

I am sorry that it is a little long, but this issue is very important at the moment.

[Lord Borrie]

My Lords, given the importance and the independence of the bodies to which the noble Baroness has referred—Ofcom and the Competition Commission—why are they given this huge level of uncertainty through being listed in various schedules to the Public Bodies Bill?

[Baroness Rawlings]

The noble Lord, Lord Borrie, asked this question in the debate. I thought that I had assured him that Ofcom is not going on to the scrapheap, but it will be reviewed. I can assure him that, although changes will be made to the economic network regulatory functions of Ofcom, it is not being scrapped.