BBC

I thank the right hon. Lady for that answer. Does she agree that, first and foremost, we need to ...

The right hon. and learned Lady called for an urgent question today, so she is very much standing...

rose—

Order. I am minded to run the exchanges on this question for approximately half an hour, but ther...

Given that under the one-off agreement between the Department and the BBC Trust, the Comptroller ...

I know that my hon. Friend has looked at this issue in great detail. I repeat that the NAO is alr...

Will the right hon. Lady assure me that neither she nor anyone else in government on Saturday, or...

Absolutely none.

As George Entwistle has been given a huge pay-off to go quietly, is my right hon. Friend at all c...

I can absolutely reassure my hon. Friend that I have received assurances that both current and fo...

Does not this sorry episode illustrate the folly of entrusting the regulation of the BBC to a neu...

The right hon. Gentleman makes a colourful intervention. I remind him gently that it was his part...

I welcome the Secretary of State’s opening comments. The recent catalogue of senior management fa...

It is right to say that it is difficult to justify the level of payment that has been talked abou...

I agree with both Front-Bench speakers that the main focus should be on the abuse of the children...

I understand the right hon. Lady’s point, although I say firmly that there are many lessons to be...

Will the Secretary of State speak up for licence payers and ask Lord Patten, when she next talks ...

My right hon. Friend makes a powerful point. He will know that we have frozen the licence fee, an...

When Lord Patten talked about the retirement of George Entwistle, he went on to say that he had a...

The hon. Gentleman makes his own point. I am concerned about making sure that the Trust is doing ...

Who appointed the obviously ineffectual Mr Entwistle as director-general, and what does that choi...

My hon. Friend will know that the director-general of the BBC is appointed by the BBC Trust, and ...

The Secretary of State will know that there is great concern in Scotland about the crisis at the ...

I think that the hon. Gentleman would have to agree that the problem we face is a structural one ...

In the past few days the main news headlines have been about structural overhaul at the BBC, head...

My hon. Friend puts it extremely well. We cannot let these debates fog the central question: how ...

The tragic case of Madeleine McCann shows that newspaper editors can make the most appalling alle...

The hon. Gentleman is right that the level of pay-off will not be easy for Members in the Chamber...

The BBC is bigger than “Newsnight”, which is one programme, and what happened is terrible, but do...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We have seen the BBC set up the reviews, and we now need to e...

This has clearly been a dark time for the BBC, but does the Secretary of State recognise that las...

The right hon. Gentleman is right to focus on the incredibly important contribution the BBC makes...

Yesterday our nation gathered to mourn our war dead, Israeli forces exchanged fire with forces in...

The hon. Gentleman is right that we should not let these matters cloud the central issue of child...

Over the weekend allegations were made that an abuser in the north Wales case had previously abus...

The hon. Gentleman puts his finger on it when he says that the important issue that comes out of ...

May I assure Labour Members that many Members of Parliament on the Government Benches think that ...

My hon. Friend is right to pay tribute to the work of local BBC stations and organisations; we al...

This is certainly the worst crisis that the BBC has faced for at least nine years. Does the Secre...

The hon. Gentleman will know that the two reviews on the BBC that are still ongoing are being con...

Lord Patten wasted hundreds of thousands of pounds on the appointment process for George Entwistl...

My hon. Friend’s strength of feeling is clear. While, as I said, the Trust could have acted more ...

Genuine supporters of the BBC will be appalled whenever it slips from the very highest standard o...

The hon. Gentleman will know that the way to restore the trust in the BBC that both he and I want...

Is not one of the lessons that we need to learn that all of us in this place need to be very care...

My hon. Friend is right: there are individuals who perhaps want to examine their consciences and ...

There are two strands to today’s discussion—that it is vital that the victims of abuse feel confi...

The hon. Lady is right to ensure that we always keep to the fore the situation of children who ha...

As a result of George Entwistle going there might be other departures from the BBC because of the...

My hon. Friend speaks of ensuring that contracts are correctly put together. I join him in saying...

Last week, the Children’s Commissioner for Wales made it clear he had had some contact with membe...

The hon. Lady talks about the language we use, and in this place we know it is incredibly powerfu...

Twice in the past 12 months the House has discussed the lack of management control over large med...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to talk about the importance of focusing the BBC. I hope that ...

Will the Secretary of State ensure there is no witch hunt at the BBC? Does she agree that the pri...

Management of the current situation is very much for members of the BBC executive. I see day in, ...

Does my right hon. Friend agree that, even after the shoddy journalism we have seen at the BBC, t...

My hon. Friend is right that our focus needs to be on the welfare and safety of children, and on ...

The BBC foolishly cut spending on its high-quality, in-house investigative journalism, and contra...

As the hon. Gentleman will know, the structure of the BBC is a matter for the executive. However,...

Does my right hon. Friend agree that this latest debacle will bring forward the day when the Brit...

Every Member in the Chamber attaches enormous value to the role of the BBC. All those things are ...

Given that the BBC Trust appointed the BBC director-general in the first place and that he has ha...

The role of the Trust is to ensure that the BBC executive works as it should. We will always work...

The BBC, across local radio, regional television and national broadcasting, is more accurate and ...

The hon. Gentleman is right that a mixed media in this country is important—both broadcast and pr...

How can the BBC move on unless and until Lord Patten is sacked?

The hon. Gentleman wants to ensure that the BBC can move on from the situation it is in today, bu...

rose—

Order. I am keen to accommodate remaining colleagues as there is but a sprinkling of them.

rose—

Order. Mr Johnson, you can take your seat and be comfortable. Brevity would assist us in this pro...

There is no doubt that “Newsnight” broadcast a car crash of a television programme or that change...

My hon. Friend says that it is important to value the wide cross-section of things that the BBC d...

Is not the hon. Member for Bassetlaw (John Mann) right? Has not the problem at the BBC been going...

I think my hon. Friend would have to agree that what we want now is a solution to the situation w...

The BBC is an institution of world renown that is respected in every corner of our world. Of cour...

Absolutely yes.

It is clear that a great number of people are busy grinding their axe on this issue. I personally...

All these are things that I am sure the Trust and the executive will be looking at.

Does my right hon. Friend agree that quite frankly the BBC has shown itself always to be in conte...

My hon. Friend says that we need to ensure that the BBC acknowledges the role of Parliament. I am...

We all want a respected and independent BBC, so does the Secretary of State agree that although s...

All these things are being looked at by the BBC in its overhaul of the way it works. I would urge...

I hope that “Newsnight” is back tonight, slowly turning politicians on the spit; but although the...

I am sure these are things for the hon. Member for West Bromwich East (Mr Watson) to think about ...

A lot has been said in recent weeks about pay at the BBC, but anybody who has ever tried to ask a...

The ability to scrutinise the BBC has been strengthened under this Government; my hon. Friend ask...

If other media sources mess up, we can stop paying or switch off, forcing them to change. However...

I am sure that that will always be an issue to be raised in the Chamber, and we obviously conside...

Licence fee payers in Kettering and, indeed, throughout the country face a criminal sanction if t...

My hon. Friend is right to suggest that it should be possible to hold every public organisation t...

I thank the Secretary of State and colleagues for their co-operation, which meant that every Memb...