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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the long-term future of digital terrestrial television, in particular the national resilience value of a commercially viable broadcast network.

The Government understands how important it is that everyone can access information in times of national emergency. Television and radio both play an important role in providing such access in a range of different emergency scenarios, including scenarios where other communications may be disrupted.

The BBC has specific requirements under its Framework Agreement in relation to broadcast security and resilience, and works closely with DCMS in ensuring its networks are able to support emergency communications.

The Government’s project looking into the future of TV distribution is considering a range of relevant factors, including the future resilience requirements for broadcast networks.