Examination of Witnesses (Questions 2440
- 2445)
WEDNESDAY 2 APRIL 2008
Mr John Hutton MP and Andy Burnham MP
Q2440 Baroness Howe of Idlicote:
On children's news too.
Andy Burnham: I think that is absolutely right
and it is a good vision. The system has worked well and in terms
of preserving plurality I think it is an important consideration
that there are publicly owned broadcasters out there.
Q2441 Lord Corbett of Castle Vale:
Is that a yes or a no?
Andy Burnham: There are wider decisions and
I would just say again that Channel 4 has worked well. We have
to consider some of the issues they face in terms of the pressure
on their own finances, but I see no compelling argument for mounting
pressure to change the status of Channel 4.
Q2442 Lord Corbett of Castle Vale:
The Government stands to make a lot of money from the spectrum
released by digital switchover. Would you consider using some
of that money to help to sustain public service broadcasting on
Channel 3 and other news providers?
Andy Burnham: Here I can confidently say that
that is a matter for the Treasury.
Q2443 Lord Corbett of Castle Vale:
Would you put this in your portfolio of things to consider?
Andy Burnham: When Ed Richards was before you
on this point he was saying that in his view the system that is
there for service neutral and technology neutral use of the freed
up spectrum will create services of the most value to society.
That was a very clear view that he put before the Committee. What
then is done with the revenue that comes in from that sale and
is it hypothecated to a particular use, I am not being awkward
in saying that that is a decision for more than me. DCMS may have
views about it but it would be improper for me to say that the
Government has reached a final view.
Q2444 Baroness Scott of Needham Market:
Although it has not been central to our work, we have had evidence
from a number of witnesses who are unhappy about the Press Complaints
Commission and the self-regulatory nature of it and its very limited
remit. Presumably you hear that sort of comment too. What is your
response?
Andy Burnham: I actually think that the self-regulatory
regime works quite well. I would point to a recent example, the
Prince Harry situation where the editors came to a view that it
would not be in the interests of the Prince's security or national
security for the information about his deployment to be put into
the public domain. As I understand it there was an agreement made
and that held for several weeks, if not a matter of months and
it was finally broken by an American website. In that example
there is something about how the regulatory systems we have are
actually performing a good role in upholding public standards
and values in a changing world. I think the regime works quite
well and in some ways the pressures it is facing too is evidenced
in that particular example that I have just given.
Q2445 Baroness Scott of Needham Market:
One of the issues is about the fact that the current regime only
responds to individual complaints brought by one individual. We
looked at the case of Katy Price—known as Jordan—who
came to an arrangement as a result of her complaint about the
treatment of her son. That dealt with her problem but the fact
was that several hundred people with disabled children also wrote
in and said that their children had suffered as a result of this
article, but that is entirely outside the scope of the Press Complaints
Commission because their issue was just with the one individual.
In other words, it takes quite a narrow view of individual complaints
rather than wider societal complaints.
Andy Burnham: I do not know the details of the
case you describe but I would think that would be a legitimate
point to put to the Press Complaints Commission. I say again that
the system works well and it does provide redress to individuals;
it has standards that it seeks to uphold and, as I say, there
was some evidence in recent times that it has been able to uphold
these standards in a very complex media world. I think at all
times it should be reviewing its own systems and structures and
if the Committee were to make those points I am sure they would
be considered by the Commission.
Chairman: You have been very patient,
thank you. We have kept you a long time. Could I thank you very,
very much indeed for coming and for the way you have both answered
questions. We are very grateful that two secretaries of state
could come to this session.
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