Speeches by Whittingdale.

“How often do you have conversations with the World Service?”

“You have said that it is a matter of principle, not just quantum, and it is a principle I have some sympathy with. Given the pressures on Government expenditure, you are asking for the Foreign Office budget to take on a huge additional cost. Have you had any reason to think that the Government might be sympathetic to t…”

“Your request to them that they maintain 42 language services and the crisis provision is a fairly basic one. Do you see it as appropriate and possible that the Foreign Office may come back in due course and say, “We would like you to devote a bit more to this part of the world because we see that that is where the need…”

“Had the BBC said to you that, unless they had that top-up, they would not?”

“In 2015, the Government partially reversed the decision taken in 2010, when the Foreign Office gave an additional top-up to the licence fee funding, with the specific suggestion that it should be used to broadcast language services in particular areas of the world where it was felt that we needed to do more. You have n…”

“Impartiality is as important for the World Service as it is for the BBC. I do not underestimate the difficulty you face in reporting on very complex and controversial situations such as the situation with Israel-Gaza. You will be aware that there have been a huge number of complaints about the coverage by BBC Arabic, w…”

“You have said that it is a matter of principle, not just quantum, and it is a principle I have some sympathy with. Given the pressures on Government expenditure, you are asking for the Foreign Office budget to take on a huge additional cost. Have you had any reason to think that the Government might be sympathetic to t…”

“I think that we have sympathy with your frustration at the difficulty of planning in the long term with the uncertainty around your funding, but why do you think that transferring funding responsibility from the licence fee payer to the Government is going to give you any more certainty? Surely at the moment it is like…”

“Your request to them that they maintain 42 language services and the crisis provision is a fairly basic one. Do you see it as appropriate and possible that the Foreign Office may come back in due course and say, “We would like you to devote a bit more to this part of the world because we see that that is where the need…”

“How often do you have conversations with the World Service?”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stringer. I am, in general, a supporter of local TV. That used to be somewhat more controversial that it is today. Local TV was invented by my right hon. Friend the Member for Godalming and Ash (Jeremy Hunt) when he was the Secretary of State. His mantra at the time…”

“Had the BBC said to you that, unless they had that top-up, they would not?”

“In 2015, the Government partially reversed the decision taken in 2010, when the Foreign Office gave an additional top-up to the licence fee funding, with the specific suggestion that it should be used to broadcast language services in particular areas of the world where it was felt that we needed to do more. You have n…”

“I think that we have sympathy with your frustration at the difficulty of planning in the long term with the uncertainty around your funding, but why do you think that transferring funding responsibility from the licence fee payer to the Government is going to give you any more certainty? Surely at the moment it is like…”

“Impartiality is as important for the World Service as it is for the BBC. I do not underestimate the difficulty you face in reporting on very complex and controversial situations such as the situation with Israel-Gaza. You will be aware that there have been a huge number of complaints about the coverage by BBC Arabic, w…”

“The Minister intends to impose thousands more houses on my constituency, when there are already not enough school places, not enough doctors and congested roads. Will he at least look at ways in which financial arrangements can be established that would mean that developers can be made to fund necessary infrastructure …”

“7. What steps he is taking to support the hospitality sector.”

“UKHospitality has estimated that the Budget measures will increase the cost of employing one employee by £2,500. Shops, pubs and restaurants across my constituency have said that that will lead to higher prices or fewer jobs. Will the Minister at least consider delaying the implementation of the national insurance cont…”

“Dr Zomlot, to begin, do you unequivocally condemn the attacks carried out by Hamas on 7 October?”

“You will be aware that there are reports of Palestinian diplomats celebrating what happened on 7 October and that that is creating part of the problem. Israel will not have confidence in Palestine’s commitment to a two-state solution unless action is taken to deradicalise the Palestinian population.”