Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with the BBC on ensuring its (a) TV and (b) radio programming is made across the UK.

The Secretary of State meets regularly with the Chair to discuss a wide range of issues.

Under the current Charter, Ofcom is required to set the BBC quotas for programme making in the regions and nations. Looking ahead, the Government is currently undertaking a review of the BBC’s Royal Charter. The Green Paper sets out our ambition for the BBC to tell a unifying national story that represents all communities across the UK, and to drive growth in the nations and regions. We are looking at a range of options to deliver this, which include further quotas or obligations relating to programme making, and the BBC moving more commissioning staff out of London.