GOD Save The Queen should be played more frequently by the BBC and other public broadcasters, ministers have said.
Culture minister Chris Philp told MPs the “more we hear the national anthem sung, frankly, the better” in response to a suggestion from a Tory colleague for the BBC to play it at the end of its programming for the day.
Andrew Rosindell (Romford) told the Commons: “I know the minister will agree that the singing of the national anthem is something that provides great sense of unity and pride in our nation.
“So in this year of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, will the minister take steps to encourage public broadcasters to play the national anthem and ensure the BBC restores it at the end of the day’s programming before it switches to News 24?”
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries could be heard saying “fantastic” while her frontbench colleague Philp added: “We fully support the singing of the national anthem, Her Majesty the Queen and other expressions of patriotism – including the flying of the Union Jack.
“The more that we hear the national anthem sung, frankly, the better. Organisations like schools are free to promote it and the more we can do in this area the better it’ll be.”
Commenting on the exchange, SNP MP Pete Wishart said: “People in Scotland will find it utterly staggering that while the UK is facing a catastrophic Tory cost of living crisis, which the UK Government is doing the sum total of nothing to tackle, Tory MPs are wasting time attempting to force the BBC to play the national anthem on repeat."
He said that the average family was set to lose £1200 a year from April due to cuts made by the Westminster government, adding: “It beggars belief that the Tories are wasting time, harking back to a bygone era like a broken record, when they should be getting off their backsides and delivering support to boost household incomes, and reverse the appalling levels of poverty and inequality under Westminster control.
Elsewhere in the questions session, Conservative former minister Sir Christopher Chope urged the UK Government to remove the power of the BBC to enforce sanctions against over-75s who have not paid the TV licence fee.
The MP for Christchurch said: “Do we trust the BBC? Wouldn’t it be much better to remove the power of the BBC to enforce sanctions by the criminal law against those who are over 75, who are supporting a policy that the Government says it also supports?”
Dorries said the issue is “something which remains very much under review and on my desk”, adding: “The BBC has confirmed that no enforcement action has been taken, they recently began customer care visits to people over 75 who may need additional support in paying the TV licence.”
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