Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has held with Ministerial Colleagues regarding the future funding arrangements for BBC World Service.

The Department is working closely with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), as sponsor department for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), on the BBC Charter Review, which includes consideration of future funding for the BBC World Service. As the Minister responsible for the BBC World Service, I have met and remain in contact with the Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Online Safety in DCMS on the Charter Review process, in so far as it relates to the BBC World Service.