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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to safeguard the specific public service duties of Channel 4 in the event of privatisation.

Her Majesty’s Government believes that the need for public service broadcasting remains as strong as ever, and wants to ensure that the UK’s broadcasting system is dynamic and relevant, and that it can continue to meet the needs of audiences in the future.

The Government has been very clear that it wants Channel 4 to remain a public service broadcaster, with obligations and benefits similar to those which all public service broadcasters have – both public and privately-owned – so that it continues to make an important social, economic, and cultural contribution to the UK.