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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of regional broadcasting in the process of levelling up the regions of England; and what discussions they (1) have had, or (2) intend to have, with the BBC about proposed cuts to English regional television.

Broadcasting plays an important role in reflecting and representing people and communities from all over the UK. The BBC has a particular role to play here. The BBC’s Royal Charter requires the BBC to represent, reflect and serve audiences, taking into account the needs of diverse communities of all the UK nations and regions.

The BBC’s proposed cuts to English regional television were debated in the chamber on 22 June 2020 with unanimous support for regional broadcasting. However, the BBC is editorially and operationally independent of government, and regional programming is a matter for the BBC.

Under the new regulatory system introduced by the government in 2017, the BBC Board must ensure the BBC complies with its Charter duties, and the government established Ofcom as the BBC regulator to ensure the BBC is robustly held to account.