Arab Commercial Television Operators

HL Deb 25 April 2002 vol 634 cc357-9

Lord Campbell-Savours

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will meet overseas-based Arab commercial television operators to discuss the potential for the transmission of news programmes and documentaries in the English language by satellite throughout the United Kingdom.

Lord Davies of Oldham

My Lords, the Government have not met overseas Arab commercial television operators. For the most part, they present general Arabic entertainment programming. We are aware that A1-Jazeera, a dedicated news and documentary channel, is examining the costs—and the means of meeting them—of providing a simultaneous English translation of its key programmes. As my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport said in a Commons Written Answer on 14th November last, this is entirely an editorial—and, I might add, a commercial—decision for A1-Jazeera.

Lord Campbell-Savours

My Lords, is my noble friend prepared to meet—or to ask other Ministers to meet—the Emir of Qatar, who owns A1-Jazeera, and ask him whether he might be prepared to contribute to funding this very important news service?

Lord Davies of Oldham

My Lords, the House will recognise that it would scarcely be appropriate for me to put myself forward in such a role. I emphasise to my noble friend that this is a commercial issue for A1-Jazeera. We recognise the merits of A1-Jazeera having a degree of independence and balance about its programmes, which are wholly to be commended. We recognise the value of that service to Arabic speakers and potentially to people in this country. However, we are talking about a commercial and editorial decision by a private station and it is for those who run that station to proceed as they see best.

Lord McNally

My Lords, will the Minister clarify what he has said? He has emphasised a couple of times that these are commercial and editorial decisions. Does that mean that any regime or any country that had the will could buy itself on to satellite and start broadcasting to this country?

Lord Davies of Oldham

My Lords, it does not mean that. Before any broadcaster could do so, it would need to obtain a licence under the criteria laid down by the licensing authority. It is not a free market to quite the extent that the noble Lord suggests. I am emphasising the editorial and financial decisions of A1-Jazeera, because we are talking about the cost of effective translation of its programmes, which are already broadcast to the United Kingdom for those who understand Arabic. My noble friend is asking whether the Government should play a part in providing support or encouraging others to do so. That is the question to which I have addressed my answers.

Lord Taylor of Blackburn

My Lords, we have a Department of Trade and Industry, 'which is there to assist people who want to trade in this country. Surely my noble friend's request is a reasonable one for people who want to trade here. If not a Minister, one of the officials in the Department of Trade and Industry should be willing to meet the gentlemen concerned.

Lord Davies of Oldham

My Lords, I am not here to speak on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry. As my noble friend has said, the department is busy on many issues with which I confess that I have only limited acquaintance. I understand what my noble friend is saying. We clearly recognise the value of the station. We also appreciate that significant costs are involved in broadcasting in English in this country. There are also potential benefits to British people from the extension of understanding that such broadcasts would provide. Some help may be possible, but I cannot accept the requests for direct representations at government level on the issue.

Lord Roberts of Conwy

My Lords, pursuant to his answer to the noble Lord, Lord McNally, is the Minister saying that every satellite broadcaster whose transmissions are currently receivable in this country is licensed to do so?

Lord Davies of Oldham

My Lords, all broadcasters have to meet the requirements of the licensing authority covering the whole of Europe. The permission for A1-Jazeera to broadcast in Europe is granted by the French authorities, because it broadcasts predominantly to France—and in French. That is the basis of broadcasts to this country, too. The station is seeking to provide a service in the United Kingdom, involving additional cost. It meets the requirements of the licensing authority. The issue with regard to English language costs, as I persist in emphasising, is a commercial decision for the board of A1-Jazeera.

Lord Avebury

My Lords, is the Minister aware that BBC Monitoring already provides English language translations of many of the most important broadcasts on A1-Jazeera and other Arab broadcasters and that these are available at very economical rates to commercial users? Will the Government encourage people who need to know what is being thought about in the Arab world to subscribe to BBC Monitoring?

Lord Davies of Oldham

My Lords, as I have said, we recognise the value of A1-Jazeera. As the noble Lord has said, that is emphasised in particular ways in terms of the monitoring service of the BBC. I emphasise that a number of journalists from A1-Jazeera were previously journalists with the BBC World Service, so it is an entirely reputable organisation. I see no difficulty in acceding to what the noble Lord is saying. Of course we would encourage all in this country who need to understand issues in the Muslim and Arab world to take advantage of these opportunities. We all recognise that the nation as a whole needs to understand these matters more fully than perhaps has been the case in the past.

Baroness Whitaker

My Lords, I declare an interest as the deputy chair of the Independent Television Commission. Is my noble friend aware that perhaps as many as half a million people in the UK listen to A1-Jazeera's broadcasts in Arabic? Would it not be in the public interest if non-Arabic speakers were able to listen to what A1-Jazeera says as well?

Lord Davies of Oldham

My Lords, I hear what my noble friend has said. She is absolutely right that the station broadcasts successfully to a large number of people in this country who can understand its programmes in Arabic. As I said earlier, I do not doubt for one moment the benefits of people being able to appreciate the information that A1-Jazeera can communicate. However, the process by which that is done and the costs involved should be attributable not to the Government, but to the private broadcasting organisation.