Charles Dickens: Bicentenary

Lord Harrison Excerpts

Thursday 9th February 2012 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Rawlings]

My Lords, I am sure that that is a good idea, but I have a feeling that BAFTA is probably an independent body. We will put that forward, and hope that BAFTA reads the noble Baroness’s suggestion in Hansard.

[Lord Harrison]

My Lords—

[Lord Alton of Liverpool]

My Lords, does the Minister recall that I raised the issue with her a few weeks ago that, in this Diamond Jubilee year, it would be appropriate for a gift of a Dickens novel to be given to children throughout the country? When I subsequently wrote to her and had a brief conversation, she said that she would look at ways of trying to promote private sponsorship of such a project. Has she been able to make any progress in that regard?