(2 weeks ago)
Lords ChamberMy Lords, I have it in command from His Majesty the King and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to acquaint the House that they, having been informed of the purport of the Sporting Events Bill, have consented to place their interests, so far as they are affected by the Bill, at the disposal of Parliament for the purposes of the Bill.
My Lords, before the formal Third Reading of the Sporting Events Bill, I will now make a short statement on the position regarding legislative consent. As noble Lords will know, the Bill affects the whole of the United Kingdom. We are seeking consent from each of the devolved legislatures and have been engaging constructively with the devolved Governments throughout the Bill’s passage. We will continue to work alongside the devolved Governments to ensure that final positions are reached in relation to legislative consent before the final amending stage in the second House. We will have more to say in the other place, and we will of course keep noble Lords updated on this. I beg to move that the Bill be now read a third time.
The Secretary of State and the Prime Minister have committed to the licence fee for the remainder of the current charter period, until 2027. Ahead of the charter review, the Government will keep an open mind about the future of the licence fee and engage with the BBC, the public and other stakeholders before making decisions, but I am afraid that the noble Lord is not currently exempt from it.
My Lords, before we move on to the next Question, I remind the House—as I find myself having to do quite a lot—that we are in Question Time and expect questions from noble Lords and prompt answers from Ministers. It is Question Time, not “speech time”.