Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)

The noble Lord, Lord Hacking, does not like it, but I am glad that he has at least been to the cinema to see it. What discussions have the Government had with awards academies about the qualifying period that is necessary for films to be entered into things such as the Oscars and the BAFTAs? Should they not insist on a greater cinematic release? Having taken the Media Bill through your Lordships’ House in 2024, I agree with the comments that have been made about implementing and enforcing the provisions of that Act in relation to prominence and more. The noble Lord, Lord Dodds of Duncairn, spoke powerfully about digital terrestrial television. In July 2025, Ofcom recommended that the Government make a decision about whether to invest more in digital terrestrial television, which, at present, is guaranteed only until 2034. At the time of Storm Goretti, we are reminded of what a vital lifeline our broadcasters are, particularly in rural parts of the United Kingdom. Perhaps the Minister could say a bit about that? The noble Lord, Lord Hannay of Chiswick, and others spoke about the BBC World Service. The director-general, Tim Davie—who will be much missed—has been in front of the Public Accounts Committee in another place this morning. He pointed out that the BBC World Service has not yet had its financial settlement for the 2026-27 financial year. Can the Minister say when that will be set out? Against such a turbulent geopolitical backdrop, surely the BBC World Service needs to know how it much can spend later this year? As other noble Lords have rightly done, I want to end by connecting broadcasting to other art forms. The noble Earl, Lord Clancarty, spoke of the great and much-missed playwright, Sir Tom Stoppard. I recently saw his “Indian Ink” at the Hampstead Theatre, which I believe began as a radio play. Last night, at the Donmar Warehouse, I saw JB Priestley’s “When We Are Married”. He was another of our great playwrights who jumped from stage to screen to radio. In a recent report by UK Theatre, the producer of the BBC’s “The Night Manager”—which I am sure many of us are currently enjoying—speaks powerfully about the connection between funding for theatre, and other art forms, and what we will be viewing on our screens and streamers for years to come. During this helpful and wide-ranging debate, it is right that we have been able to switch over from broadcasting to talk about other art forms too.