BBC Charter Review

Debate between Stephanie Peacock and Gregory Campbell

Tuesday 17th December 2024 Commons Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)]

I am pleased to respond to this debate, and I congratulate the hon. Member for East Londonderry (Mr Campbell) on securing it. The debate is a good opportunity to discuss the upcoming charter review, which we intend to launch next year. He has raised a number of important areas related to the BBC, which I will respond to, but I would first like to make a few broad points about the contribution that the BBC makes to the UK.

The BBC supports our democracy, brings our communities together and helps to shape and define our nation through telling stories about the lives of people in all parts of the UK. It also plays an important role in providing trusted news as the UK’s most trusted news brand, reaching around 95% of UK adults each month. It is one of Britain’s biggest cultural exports and an important soft power asset, with the BBC World Service providing essential, trustworthy news through 42 language services to millions of people across the globe. That is a topic I was pleased to discuss today while giving evidence to the joint sitting of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, the Foreign Affairs Committee and the International Development Committee. Indeed, I see one of the Committee members in the Chamber right now.

The BBC has provided some of our most memorable moments across television, representing stories from every part of the UK. It acts as a linchpin in the UK’s flourishing creative economy, investing in the skills, training and creativity that drive growth across all regions of the UK. Last year, it contributed £4.9 billion to the UK economy and supported over 50,000 jobs, with more than half of this impact outside London, and it invests more in original British content than anyone else.

I shall move on to some of the points the hon. Member raised. I note his view on increasing the accountability of the BBC as part of the charter review, and it is important that we get this area right. The charter review will explore BBC accountability, particularly in terms of ensuring that the BBC is accountable to those who fund it: the British people. As a public service broadcaster that is hugely important to public life, the BBC must be responsive to its audience. The BBC has a duty to deliver impartial and accurate news coverage and content under the charter, which specifically sets out that it must observe high standards of openness and seek to maximise transparency and accountability.

Since 2017, Ofcom has regulated the BBC and has taken action to make sure that it is held to account. Ofcom is required to prepare and publish an operating framework for the BBC, which must contain provisions to secure the effective regulation of the BBC’s activities.

Under the BBC’s new operating licence, introduced last year, the BBC is required to report more comprehensively on its performance and its plans for services. The Government welcome Ofcom’s recent report into the BBC’s performance in 2023-24 and note its findings, including where Ofcom has identified areas of improvement for the BBC. It is for Ofcom, as the BBC’s independent regulator, to monitor the BBC’s progress in these areas. The charter also includes provision for the National Audit Office to examine the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which the BBC uses its resources in discharging its functions.

The hon. Gentleman spoke about commissioning. A key principle of the BBC’s success is its editorial and operational independence, which must be upheld. That is why decisions on commissioning and programming are for the BBC board, not for the Government. Being operationally and editorially independent, BBC commissioning is rightly a matter for the BBC. It is not within the Government’s scope to intervene in day-to-day commissioning decisions, but the charter requires the BBC to open up content production to allow non-BBC producers to compete for BBC projects. By the end of the current charter in 2027, 100% of BBC television and 60% of BBC radio will be fully open to competition to support a diverse range of stories and views on the BBC.

[Mr Gregory Campbell]

The Minister talks about the BBC needing to open up contracts to non-BBC personnel. Does she accept that this needs to be seen to be done on an equitable and fair basis, so that people beyond the reach of the BBC, as well as internals, have an equal opportunity to bid for contracts?

[Stephanie Peacock]

Yes, I do accept that, and it is something we can look at as part of the charter review. Of course, Ofcom, as the BBC’s independent regulator, holds the BBC to account on its performance and its commissioning practices, and on the market impact of those.

The hon. Gentleman mentioned BBC pay, which I appreciate is a matter of debate and controversy. The royal charter requires the BBC, as he rightly said, to publish the salary details of all BBC staff and talent paid over £178,000. Salary disclosures of this kind were made for the first time as part of the 2016-17 annual report. The salaries of BBC staff are also a matter for the BBC and the individuals themselves, not for Government. However, the charter review will look again at the transparency of this issue.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephanie Peacock and Gregory Campbell

Thursday 28th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Stephanie Peacock]

I will of course put on record that I wish the team good luck and send them my huge thanks and congratulations. The work that we are doing to support grassroots football, through our multi-sport grassroots facilities programme, will hopefully grow the grassroots game.

[Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry) (DUP)]

The Minister will be aware that there is a sub-regional stadia strategy in Northern Ireland. Will she have discussions with my colleague, the Minister for Communities in Northern Ireland, to see what assistance, information and additional resources can be deployed to ensure there is widespread development of grassroots football in Northern Ireland?

[Stephanie Peacock]

I have previously had discussions with my counterpart in Northern Ireland and I will be delighted to do so again. I am hoping to visit Northern Ireland in the coming months.