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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of changes implemented by the BBC in response to the recommendations in the TV Licence Fee Enforcement Review conducted by David Perry QC, including the recommendation that the BBC change the tone and content of its written communications with households.

The BBC and TV Licensing are independent of the government and the government has no say over their day-to-day decisions, including the content and tone of their written communications with households.

Under the Royal Charter, it is for the BBC Board to ensure that arrangements for the collection of the licence fee are efficient, appropriate and proportionate.

As noted in the consultation on decriminalisation of TV licence evasion, the government remains concerned about the considerable stress and anxiety that TV Licensing communications and the criminal sanction can cause for individuals.

The government is keeping the issue of decriminalisation under active consideration as part of the wider roadmap of reform of the BBC.