Birmingham and Coventry National Union of Journalists

-  BBC Generated £8 Billion for the UK Economy in the Last Year
-  Ethiopia  [Continued Imprisonment of Five Journalists]
-  Turkey  [Journalists Currently Imprisoned]

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Broadcasting: Public Service Terrestrial Broadcasting

Question

Asked by Lord Clement-Jones

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the value to the United Kingdom economy of free at the point of use public service terrestrial broadcasting.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The BBC, ITV, S4C and Channels 4 and 5 now invest over £3 billion a year in UK content. Investment by the public service broadcasters supports the wider creative industries.

Deloitte estimates that the BBC alone generated £8 billion for the UK economy in the last year, equating to about two pounds being added to the UK economy for every pound of licence fee spent.

Source: <>  House of Lords, 12/08/13

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Ethiopia  [Continued Imprisonment of Five Journalists]

 Lord Patten  to ask Her Majesty's Government , further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 20 June (WA 69), what is their latest assessment of the safety and welfare of the journalists Reeyot Alemu, Yusuf Getachew, Solomon Kebede, Eskinder Neya and Wubshet Taye, currently imprisoned in Ethiopia.[HL1959]

The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): We remain concerned by the imprisonment of journalists under Ethiopia's anti-terrorism legislation. The Deputy Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Hallam (Mr Clegg), discussed the arrest of journalists and opposition leaders with the Ethiopian Prime Minister on 17 June 2013. Our officials in Addis Ababa continue to raise the implementation of Ethiopia's anti-terrorism legislation with the Ethiopian authorities.

Source: <>  House of Lords, 12/08/13

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Turkey  [Journalists Currently Imprisoned]

Questions

Asked by Lord Patten

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 19 June (WA 59), whether they will now give their assessment of the number of journalists currently imprisoned in Turkey; and if not, why not.[HL1960]

The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): We do not have any reliable information on the precise number of journalists imprisoned in Turkey. Estimates of the actual numbers involved vary widely. The Turkish authorities are aware of our concerns, and we and our EU partners continue to raise freedom of expression and other fundamental freedoms as part of our wider dialogue with the Turkish government.

Source: <>  House of Lords, 12/08/13