ALLEGATIONS OF RACIST STATEMENTS ON CHANNEL FOUR PROGRAMME SHIPWRECKED AND CONDUCT OF ANDY DUNCAN

That this House deplores comments made on the Channel Four programme Shipwrecked praising slavery; regrets that Channel Four did not make it clear to contestants, at the time that the programme was recorded, that such racist language is unacceptable; severely condemns Channel Four for broadcasting such remarks so soon after international concerns regarding racist comments broadcast on their Celebrity Big Brother programme; notes the Channel Four statement following their Board meeting; calls on the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to write to the regulator to request an immediate inquiry rather than the so-called review which would be a way of delaying the apportionment of culpability; demands Channel Four release full transcripts recorded in the Big Brother house including briefings made in the Diary Room; believes that this highlights further gross incompetence on behalf of Channel Four management; and suggests that if found culpable in any way for recent broadcasts of racism that Channel Four Chief Executive Andy Duncan should resign immediately.