Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the speech by the BBC Director General on 14 May 2025.

We have noted the speech given by the BBC Director General on 14 May. The Government is in close touch with the BBC on all issues - we have regular discussions at both senior and official level. The Government highly values the BBC World Service, which provides impartial accurate news to a global audience of 320 million. The Government is providing a funding uplift of £32.6m (31 per cent) for the World Service in FY 2025/26.  It remains the world's most trusted international news service. Any decisions on government funding for the World Service for future years will be made through the ongoing Spending Review process.