Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to paragraph 4.44 of the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, whether any of the additional funding allocated to the BBC World Service will go towards BBC Monitoring; and whether his Department plans to take steps to scruitnise the distribution of this funding.

The Autumn Budget 2024 announced a government grant funding uplift for the BBC World Service in 2025-26. The uplift is for the BBC World Service only, ensuring it can continue to operate in 42 languages and helping to maintain its crisis response capability. The BBC is operationally and editorially independent and sets its own budgets.