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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the BBC on policy support for victims of online harassment within that organisation within the last eight months.

The BBC is operationally independent from Government, and issues relating to its employees are a matter for the Corporation. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Ministers have not discussed the issues set out in the questions with the BBC.

In regards to online abuse, the Online Safety Bill, currently in Committee Stage in the House of Lords, will ensure that all adults have a triple shield of protection when online. All companies in scope will need to take robust action against illegal content, including public order offences.

The Government is committed to ensuring that journalists within the UK are able to operate free from violence, abuse and harassment. For this reason, we established a National Committee for the Safety of Journalists, whose membership includes the BBC, in 2020, and published a National Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists in 2021.