Intellectual Property Bill [Lords]

Debate between Alun Cairns and John Leech

Monday 20th January 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Leech]

I thank my fellow member of the Select Committee for his intervention. He will recall that we visited Google as part of our inquiry, and he will also recall the complacent attitude taken by its representatives to the whole issue, as though it had nothing to do with them and was not their problem. I think we all agreed that it certainly was their problem, and that they should take much more responsibility for tackling it.

Finally, I am disappointed that the Bill does not seek to repeal section 73 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, which was intended to encourage the roll-out of the cable network in the United Kingdom, and allowed cable operators to re-transmit public service broadcasters’ programmes free of charge. At a time when Sky and Virgin are willingly entering into commercial deals with public sector broadcasters for their non-public sector broadcasting content, it is a nonsense that they are still able to make money on the back of free PSB content.

[Alun Cairns (Vale of Glamorgan) (Con)]

Has not the technology out-developed the legislation? Should not section 73 of the 1988 Act be adapted to take account of commercial considerations?

[Mr Leech]

Yes, I think time is up for the likes of Sky and Virgin. They have been making a lot of money on the back of this for some time, and it is about time we brought it to an end.

By contrast, in the United States News Corporation has led the campaign for channels to receive fees from platform operators, which has resulted in over $2 billion being available for investment in original content and news production, so I urge the Minister to bring forward an amendment repealing section 73 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act.

Future of the BBC

Debate between Alun Cairns and John Leech

Monday 21st October 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Leech]

I disagree with the hon. Gentleman, because there is strong evidence to suggest that the BBC producing such content actually drives quality in the commercial market. There is little doubt in my mind that further funding cuts would be seriously damaging to the future quality of programming.

[Alun Cairns]

I find it strange that the hon. Gentleman thinks that further cuts would damage the BBC’s output. Have several examples not been aired already during this debate of significant waste? The digital media initiative cost £100 million, while the pay-offs to BBC executives also cost significant sums—£329 million to 7,500 members of staff. Those are examples of money that has not gone into broadcasting, which is the purpose of the BBC.

[Mr Leech]

Certainly, there are examples of money not going into broadcasting, but I think the new director-general has got a grip of what has gone on in the past, and I would expect it not to happen in the future. One good example is the restriction of pay-offs for senior executives to a year’s salary or £150,000, which is line with senior civil servants. My biggest concern is that future cuts to BBC funding would be most severely felt in local and regional broadcasting.