Court Proceedings: Media Reports
John Whittingdale Conservative, Maldon What recent assessment she (The Lord Chancellor) has made of the extent to which local media report on court proceedings. Oliver Heald The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice We are committed to upholding and strengthening the principle of open justice, in which local reporters play an important role. John Whittingdale […]
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill – in the House of Commons
John Whittingdale Conservative, Maldon It is a pleasure to follow Yvette Cooper. I did not agree with everything that she said, but the one thing with which I most certainly did agree was her congratulations to my hon. Friend Dr Johnson who made an excellent first speech in this House. It is probably the case […]
Inquiry into complaints alleging corrupt relationships between police and newspaper organisations, Policing and Crime Bill
John Whittingdale Conservative, Maldon I had not intended to take part in the debate, but I want to say a few words about Lords amendment 24. A lot of the debate so far seems to have been about whether section 40 should be implemented, but that does not actually have anything to do with Lords […]
Sky: 21ST Century Fox Takeover Bid
John Whittingdale Conservative, Maldon Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that, contrary to the assertion of Edward Miliband in The Guardian, Sky’s share of the television news market is actually 5%, not 20%? Although there may well be a case for asking the regulator to look at this bid, does she recognise that […]
European Council 2016
John Whittingdale Conservative, Maldon As my right hon. Friend knows, more than 10,000 Ukrainian servicemen have been killed since the beginning of the Russian-backed conflict, and progress on Minsk appears to have stalled. Does she agree that, as signatories to the Budapest memorandum, we have a special responsibility? Will she look into what further pressure […]
Sky: 21ST Century Fox Takeover Bid
John Whittingdale Conservative, Maldon Does my right hon. Friend accept that in the event of a bid there is a strong case for asking the regulators to provide advice about any concerns on competition or plurality grounds? Does he agree that this bid would essentially be an investment decision rather than an acquisition, as 21st […]
Digital Economy Bill – Code of practice: accessibility to on-demand audiovisual services for people with disabilities affecting hearing and/or sight
John Whittingdale Conservative, Maldon I do think that more needs to be done. The counter to the statistic that the hon. Gentleman has just quoted is the number of pages being taken down. The BPI alone is notifying half a million infringing pages and they are promptly removed, but this is a Hydra—as soon as […]
Enagagements: Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister
John Whittingdale Conservative, Maldon Does my right hon. Friend agree that if the UK is to remain competitive and our citizens are to enjoy the benefits of the digital revolution, it is essential that we should be at the forefront of the deployment of both ultra-fast broadband and 5G mobile connectivity? May I therefore welcome […]
Press Matters
John Whittingdale Conservative, Maldon I welcome my right hon. Friend’s intention to continue to listen very carefully on these matters. Will she confirm that in considering how best to proceed, she will take account of the significant deterioration in the economic health of traditional media, which has taken place even since Leveson and is still […]
Cultural Property (Armed Conflicts) Bill Nissan: Sunderland
John Whittingdale Conservative, Maldon I am delighted to welcome the Bill’s Second Reading. As has been pointed out, this is a Bill we have welcomed in the past; indeed, I chaired the Select Committee that considered the draft Bill in 2008, when we subjected it to pre-legislative scrutiny. At the time, we very much welcomed […]