Answer from Hansard

The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)

May I start by wishing the men’s wheelchair rugby league world cup team the best in the final, which is being held tomorrow? I am sure the whole House wishes them all the best, and I hope they have considerably more success than your team often do, Mr Speaker. On a much more serious note, I want to acknowledge the conviction of Russell Brand for rape and sexual assault. I pay tribute to the extraordinary women who bravely spoke out and to the persistent journalists who worked day in, day out to expose this abuse. This week we have seen other serious allegations being made. They are the latest in a long line of reported abuses of power in an industry where we have known for so long that power imbalances are huge, and that reputation and contacts are the foundations on which careers are built. Next week, I will be meeting representatives from across media, entertainment and sport to discuss the action that we need to take, but I want to be clear with the House that if those protections are insufficient, the Government will not hesitate to take further action. For too long, too many people have had to choose between their career and their safety. People must be safe in their jobs, whistleblowers must be protected and those who abuse their position must no longer be able to hide.