Speeches by Stephenson.

“There is a difference between talking with other countries and doing a deal. I know that those on the Opposition Front Bench who formed part of the previous Government were not going to do this deal. They may have been talking, but as we have heard, there was going to be no agreement. I thank the hon. Member for his in…”

“Since this House first learned of the disastrous terms of the Chagos surrender deal, there has been significant focus on the spiralling cost and on the defence and security implications—we have heard many such arguments today. The Government’s weakness has compromised our national security. They are surrendering Britis…”

“The Secretary of State says that she wants to see empowered NHS staff with the right skills to deliver a transformed service, with which I absolutely agree. Level 7 apprenticeships, such as those provided by Cranfield University in Mid Bedfordshire, are so important to delivering that, but the Department for Education …”

“I absolutely agree, and I note that the right hon. Gentleman and I are the only Members in the Chamber from the Environmental Audit Committee, which I think is a damning indictment on those Members in this House who are here to protect our environment and hold the Government to account on environmental protections. Wil…”

“Does my hon. Friend agree that the Government are treating China like it is our friend, rather than the threat that it is?”

“The people of Mid Bedfordshire, in response to my survey, said that they do not want digital ID, and nor do I. Does the Secretary of State agree that the individual freedoms of British people are an unacceptable price to pay for failures to enforce existing laws, protect our borders and stop illegal working? Will she p…”

“You might have answered my final question, at least partly, but to be absolutely clear, given all that context, which platforms and services are you prioritising for future funding?”

“I was going to come on to outputs. How do you measure the benefits?”

“The BBC has very admirable plans to strengthen its delivery for all of the UK. I am just reflecting on a PAC Report from March 2024 that said that the BBC had “begun implementing its programme without a clear plan and could not readily explain the expected impact and benefits for licence fee payers.” Since you are here…”

“You mentioned “in the short term”. Are you concerned in the medium and the long term?”

“One final question before the break. How comfortable are you with the level of borrowing, given the rising costs of borrowing? How comfortable is the board? Do you have any concerns whatsoever to share with the Committee?”

“Yet the dividend paid by BBC Commercial Ltd to the Public Service Broadcasting Group was lower than last year. What is your explanation for a lower dividend?”

“What are you using the money for in order to drive sustainable returns for the BBC?”

“I am glad you mentioned debt. Borrowing limits went up in 2021 from £350 million to £750 million. Those are very large numbers—perhaps not if you compare them with some of the US behemoths that you are comparing yourself to, but very large numbers none the less. Borrowing costs have gone up significantly since 2021. Ho…”

“I have a couple of questions for Leigh on sustainable returns. How do you ensure that your commercial investment decisions maximise sustainable returns for the BBC?”

“It makes sense that there are general themes, but looking at a local level makes total sense and looking towards local leaders for the solutions is important. In my area of Mid Bedfordshire, we have seen a collapse in the commercial viability of certain routes, and then a demand on the local authority to subsidise them…”

“Mr Bailey, you prefaced your response to Anna’s “why” question with “in your area”, unless I misheard. Were the reasons that you gave general, national reasons, or were they specific to Anna’s area? It seems to me like there is a divide between urban and rural here. Could you talk a bit about the reasons in urban areas…”

“The Minister knows that I have a keen interest in NHS reorganisation and the impact on frontline services, particularly in Mid Bedfordshire. Given the failures of NHSBSA, has consideration been given to reorganising that authority? I also repeat the question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for North West Norfolk (Ja…”

“I am conscious of time, so I hope not to take up too much of it. I just want to take us back to ANPS, if I may. Can you commit to the updated ANPS being published before any airport expansion is approved? I appreciate that it is a question that the Chair asked earlier, but I was not certain that I got a clear answer on…”

“So the ANPS needs to be published before a decision can be taken because it needs to be considered by the planning process.”