Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the effect of the BBC World Service on UK diplomacy; and if he will make a statement.

The BBC World Service supports the UK's role as a force for good, supporting press freedom by encouraging media plurality, and offering tailored language services with local broadcasters which helps to counter misinformation by providing impartial, editorially independent news. The Service helps the BBC's international mission to address the global gap in trusted international news, including where free speech is limited.