Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Alan Reid Excerpts
Tuesday 5th July 2011

(12 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Nick Clegg Portrait The Deputy Prime Minister
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As I said earlier, the Culture Secretary is acting in a quasi-judicial role, he is doing so in line with advice that he has received from Ofcom and the Office of Fair Trading, and he is reflecting the legal position as it currently is. The hon. Lady may shake her head and wish that the law were different; she may wish that competition provisions could somehow be applied here, although the European Commission cleared the transaction on in competition grounds—but that is the legal position as we currently find it.

Alan Reid Portrait Mr Alan Reid (Argyll and Bute) (LD)
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Sex discrimination and religious discrimination should have no place in our society, so I am pleased that the Government are bringing forward measures to reform the succession to the Crown. However, the discussions with other Commonwealth Governments do seem to be dragging on for a long time. What is my right hon. Friend doing to ensure that those discussions come to a speedy and successful conclusion?