MPs debate News Corporation bid for BSkyB
13 July 2011 (updated on 13 July 2011)
Leader of the Opposition, Edward Miliband, moved an Opposition Day debate on Wednesday 13 July on Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation's bid for BSkyB. News Corporation has announced that it has withdrawn its bid for BSkyB.
The Leader of the House of Commons, Sir George Young, responded to the debate on behalf of the Government. Watch and read the debate and the views expressed by MPs on Parliament TV and in Commons Hansard.
- Parliament TV: Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation bid for BSkyB
- Commons Hansard: Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation Bid for BSkyB
Opposition Day debate
The Leader of the Opposition, Edward Miliband, tabled the following motion to be debated in the House of Commons:
"That this House believes that it is in the public interest for Rupert Murdoch and News International to withdraw their bid for BSkyB."
The motion was agreed to without a vote.
Opposition days are days allocated in the House of Commons in each session for the discussion of subjects chosen by the Opposition. There are 20 days allocated for this purpose per session and the Opposition generally uses them to raise questions of policy and administration.
BSkyB
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting company with operations in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. It is the largest pay-TV broadcaster in the UK. News Corporation owns a controlling 39 per cent stake in the company and put in a bid to buy the remainder of the company.
On Thursday 3 March the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Jeremy Hunt, made an Oral statement to the House of Commons on News Corporation's proposed acquisition of BSkyB.
On Thursday 30 June Tom Watson, Labour MP for West Bromwich East, asked an Urgent question on News Corporation's acquisition of BSkyB. Jeremy Hunt responded to the question, which was in response to a Written Ministerial Statement made by him outlining his next steps on the potential merger.
- Commons news: Urgent question on BSkyB
- Commons Hansard: Written Ministerial Statement on News Corp/BSkyB Merger
On Monday 11 July the Jeremy Hunt made an Oral statement to the House of Commons and announced that he had referred News Corporation's bid for BSkyB to the Competition Commission.
The Competition Commission is an independent public body which conducts in-depth inquiries into mergers, markets and the regulation of the major regulated industries.
On Wednesday 13 July News Corporation announced that it has withdrawn its bid for BSkyB.
- BSkyB (external website)
- News Corporation (external website)
- Competition Commission (external website)
- Department for Culture, media and Sport (external website)
Emergency debate on phone hacking
The House of Commons held an emergency debate on Wednesday 6 July on whether there should be a public inquiry into phone hacking at the News of the World and conduct of the Metropolitan Police Service.