BBC

Graham P Jones Excerpts

Thursday 15th September 2016 Commons Chamber

[Karen Bradley]

I do.

[Graham Jones (Hyndburn) (Lab)]

The BBC is increasingly unable to afford sports events and programmes such as “The Great British Bake-Off”, which has now gone to Channel 4, and we are now seeing pressures on BBC services and a merger of news channels. Is it not the case that this Government keep top-slicing and undermining? We see the BBC asked to fund the World Service, local TV, and now the £600 million for over-75s’ TV licences. This Government do not care about the BBC.

[Karen Bradley]

I totally disagree, and I will quote again the director-general:

“Far from being a cut, the way this financial settlement is shaped gives us, effectively, flat licence fee income across the first five years of the next charter.”