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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 June 2021 to Question 17696 on BBC: Disclosure of Information and with reference to the BBC Board's responsibility for appropriate use of licence fee payers' money, who is ultimately responsible for the use of licence fee payers money that is deemed inappropriate.

The BBC Board is responsible for ensuring the BBC delivers its Charter obligations, including its mission and public purposes and for the appropriate use of licence fee revenue. Under the Royal Charter, the Board must put in place 'appropriate policies and controls to ensure that licence fee and other income is spent and operations are managed efficiently, effectively and in accordance with regularity, propriety, value for money and feasibility'.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of the NAO is the BBC's independent external auditor. The NAO is responsible for auditing the BBC accounts and ensuring value for money in the way the BBC uses its funds.