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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will require the BBC to publish the proportion of people it employs working (a) on-screen and (b) off-screen who are BAME.

As the BBC’s external regulator, Ofcom is responsible for ensuring the BBC reflects and represents the diversity of the UK nations and regions. The BBC must report to Ofcom annually on this matter, including on the diversity of all BBC staff employed in connection with the provision of BBC public services.

Transparency is key and the government is clear that the BBC should be leading the way on both on- and off-screen diversity. The government expects all broadcasters, including the BBC, to publish data on all diversity characteristics - not just data they are legally obliged to disclose.