Paul Farrelly
Main Page: Paul Farrelly (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)Department Debates - View all Paul Farrelly's debates with the Leader of the House
(14 years, 4 months ago)
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Paul Farrelly (Newcastle-under-Lyme) (Lab)
1. What representations he has received on broadcasting rules on political impartiality in television news.
The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (Mr Jeremy Hunt)
Absolutely none.
Paul Farrelly
I thank the Secretary of State for that precise and illuminating reply. He will know that the British public value the political neutrality of TV news in this country, so will he confirm that the Government have no plans to change the rules governing political impartiality on TV news, and that they will expect broadcasters on digital terrestrial television to conform to those rules in the future?
Mr Hunt
I can confirm that we have no plans to change the impartiality rules, but we will take no lessons on impartiality from the Opposition. There are two people responsible for impartiality in British broadcasting: the head of Ofcom and the head of the BBC Trust. One is a former Labour councillor and the other is a former Labour special adviser.