Paul Farrelly
Main Page: Paul Farrelly (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)(12 years, 1 month ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text
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Maria Miller
My hon. Friend puts it extremely well. We cannot let these debates fog the central question: how do we ensure that we protect some of the most vulnerable people in our society? I welcome the fact that there will be a Back-Bench debate on that tomorrow, when I am sure he will continue to contribute and make the excellent points he has made this afternoon.
Paul Farrelly (Newcastle-under-Lyme) (Lab)
The tragic case of Madeleine McCann shows that newspaper editors can make the most appalling allegations without having to resign or being sacked by their proprietors, so we should bring some perspective to George Entwistle’s departure, whether it was truly voluntary or whether he was pushed. Does the Secretary of State agree that the BBC Trust has compounded all the errors by agreeing to this misjudged double pay-off and, in so doing, has made it doubly difficult for even the friends of the BBC, and there are many, to stand up for it?
Maria Miller
The hon. Gentleman is right that the level of pay-off will not be easy for Members in the Chamber to understand and that it is difficult to justify. However, I hope that he will agree that at this point we need to ensure that the BBC has a period of stability so that it can proceed with the reviews it has undertaken and we can create the sort of change that will strengthen the organisation for the long term.