Oral Answers to Questions

Rupa Huq Excerpts

Thursday 22nd October 2015 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport was asked—

[Dr Rupa Huq (Ealing Central and Acton) (Lab)]

1. What assessment he has made of the appropriate scale and scope of BBC services to inform the charter renewal process.

[Emma Reynolds (Wolverhampton North East) (Lab)]

9. What assessment he has made of the appropriate scale and scope of BBC services to inform the charter renewal process.

[The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Mr John Whittingdale)]

I commend the hon. Member for Ealing Central and Acton (Dr Huq) for her enthusiasm.

We have just consulted on the scale and scope of BBC services in the charter review consultation, which ran from 16 July to 8 October. My Department will provide a summary of responses and will consult on further proposals in the spring.

[Dr Huq]

Ealing has long been a BBC borough, with the wig and prop department in north Acton and many things filmed there. It has many BBC employees, hundreds of whom have contacted me wanting to safeguard its distinctiveness. The Secretary of State is a fellow music buff—we are both alumni of the all-party group on music—and was at the reception where it was revealed that 75% of music played on the BBC would not get exposure on commercial airwaves. Does he not appreciate that the people in that room and my constituents fear for the BBC’s unique music output under his Government’s plans for charter renewal?

[Mr Whittingdale]

I am conscious of the very strong creative industries based in Ealing. As the hon. Lady says, I was present at the BBC “save music” event a couple of weeks ago, where I expressed my surprise that anyone had felt it necessary. I am the first person to recognise the importance of music on the BBC. I believe that the BBC plays a very important role in providing a platform for genres and bands that would not otherwise be covered in the commercial sector. We are having a consultation, we have received 190,000 responses and we will analyse those responses. I share the hon. Lady’s view of the importance of music on the BBC.