Results 1-20 of 13,045 for speaker:Ben Bradshaw

Written Answers — Culture Media and Sport: Television: Advertising (11 Nov 2009)

Ben Bradshaw: My Department published a consultation document about television product placement on Monday 9 November, and this is available on my Department's website at: http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/consultations/64 21.aspx I welcome responses to this consultation, which should be sent to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport by January 8 2010. I will announce the outcome of the...

Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport: Stonehenge Galleries (9 Nov 2009) has video

Ben Bradshaw: The specific £10 million that we announced last month does not, but English Heritage has agreed funding for the Salisbury and Devizes museums as part of a separate partnership agreement, and the two museums together have received over £500,000 since 1999 as part of the Government's support for regional museums.

Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport: Stonehenge Galleries (9 Nov 2009) has video

Ben Bradshaw: I shall be very happy to do that. I know that English Heritage is engaged in active discussions, and, as the hon. Gentleman said, has already signed a memorandum of understanding. I believe that discussion is still taking place about the amount of support that will become available, but I am confident that both museums will be pleased with the outcome.

Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport: Stonehenge Galleries (9 Nov 2009) has video

Ben Bradshaw: I shall be happy to look into the matter, and either my right hon. Friend the Minister of State or I will write to the hon. Gentleman.

Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport: Product Placement (9 Nov 2009) has video

Ben Bradshaw: I have had a number of discussions on product placement, and we have today issued a consultation document on the matter.

Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport: Product Placement (9 Nov 2009) has video

Ben Bradshaw: I do not think the hon. Gentleman is quite right in saying that all other EU countries have already introduced it. Certainly, however, the vast majority of EU countries have indicated that, like us, they intend to move in that direction, and we would hope that, with the consultation launched today, we would be able to make a decision in January and a new regime would be introduced early in...

Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport: Product Placement (9 Nov 2009) has video

Ben Bradshaw: It was for those very reasons that I took a different view from my predecessor, although I think the arguments were finely balanced. However, the reason why we are having a consultation is because there are at the same time important safeguard issues, and important health issues around the protection of children and so forth. We want to make sure that we get this right so that we maximise...

Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport: Product Placement (9 Nov 2009) has video

Ben Bradshaw: Yes, the hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to highlight that this will not be a panacea for commercial broadcasting. There are a number of things we can do to help ease the plight of commercial broadcasting further, and we are looking into them. Ofcom has in the last year relaxed the rules on the responsibilities of commercial broadcasting, such as in respect of news in the regions. As the...

Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport: Product Placement (9 Nov 2009) has video

Ben Bradshaw: Given the conservatism of this place, I suspect, Mr. Speaker, that your Chair is the last place where we will see a product placed. As far as I am aware, under the EU directive, products would not be allowed to be placed in news and current affairs programmes anyway. My hon. Friend's point about regional television news is very important. Many of us have seen our news regions amalgamated and...

Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport: Product Placement (9 Nov 2009) has video

Ben Bradshaw: Yes, I do agree with that, but I do not agree that the hon. Gentleman's area has better beers than mine, Mr. Speaker, as you cannot beat a pint of Otter ale.

Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport: Topical Questions (9 Nov 2009) has video

Ben Bradshaw: My Department has a broad range of responsibilities. Today I had the privilege to open with the German ambassador an art installation by a young Welsh artist and a young German artist to commemorate the happy events in Berlin 20 years ago. It is an ice wall in the middle of the street outside the German embassy in Belgrave square, not far from here; and, if hon. Members get the chance, it is...

Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport: Topical Questions (9 Nov 2009) has video

Ben Bradshaw: I am sure that Ofcom will have heard the words of my hon. Friend, who has submitted his own representations to its review. It is not up to me to tell Ofcom how to conduct its reviews—it is an independent regulator—but so far it has conducted them well and speedily, and I expect this one to be no different.

Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport: Topical Questions (9 Nov 2009) has video

Ben Bradshaw: No. The hon. Gentleman is assuming that that will be the only source of funding, but it will be pump-priming. We have come up with the idea of a modest levy which represents a smaller amount than that which people have saved from their fixed lines because of the reductions in bills over recent years, yet his party has come up with absolutely no solutions for funding. It is amazing to me that...

Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport: Topical Questions (9 Nov 2009) has video

Ben Bradshaw: I am well aware of, and gratified by, the strong interest in the north-west—as in most of the English regions and in Scotland and Wales—in the Government's proposals to help to save the very important service of regional news. We hope to proceed with this as soon as possible. We will be going out to tender shortly, and we hope to announce by March the preferred bidders for the...

Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport: Topical Questions (9 Nov 2009) has video

Ben Bradshaw: The hon. Gentleman will be aware that that issue was discussed in great detail at the time of the last licence fee review. As he will be aware, this Government introduced concessions for TV licences for the elderly, but there was no consensus, in this House or among several different organisations representing different interest groups, on who else should be added to the list—so none...

Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport: Topical Questions (9 Nov 2009) has video

Ben Bradshaw: I was in Glasgow last week discussing that very matter with the director of STV, who assured me that its plans for the future would safeguard and build on the local and sub-regional provision to which STV is committed. In order to do that, however, it needs to have a sustainable funding model. That is why it is important that Members in all parts of the House get behind and support our...

Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport: Topical Questions (9 Nov 2009) has video

Ben Bradshaw: I am delighted to have that level of support from the hon. Gentleman, which is perhaps not surprising given his previous career. Yes, I will do that, and he is right to highlight the importance of the creative industries to the UK economy. Not many people realise this, but the United Kingdom is No. 1 in the world in the proportion of gross domestic product in the creative industries. This...

Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport: Topical Questions (9 Nov 2009) has video

Ben Bradshaw: I have some sympathy with that, and in my conversations with the senior BBC management in Scotland they seemed to acknowledge that they could do it a bit quicker than that.

Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport: Topical Questions (9 Nov 2009) has video

Ben Bradshaw: Yes. My hon. Friend and her constituents in Plymouth have suffered in the same way as mine in Exeter from the deterioration in both the quality and localness of regional news provided by ITV in the past 12 months. That is exactly why the Government have brought forward our proposals. Not only do I think that we can avert any further decline, but I think that we can return to much...

Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport: Topical Questions (9 Nov 2009) has video

Ben Bradshaw: I would think that that is highly unlikely in practice. As my hon. Friend knows, the film industry alone estimates that it is currently losing £200 million a year because of theft from illegal file sharing. I suggest that the regulatory costs of introducing the legislation will not get anywhere near that amount.