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

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the BBC over its plans to launch four new spin-off radio stations and over whether the introduction of these stations risks being anti-competitive.

Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Ministers at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regularly meet the BBC’s leadership to discuss a range of issues.

The BBC has responsibilities, set out in its Royal Charter, to avoid unnecessary adverse impacts on the market. In delivering these responsibilities, the BBC is required to undertake a public interest test, carrying out an assessment of the impact of new services and justifying the resulting market impacts. The BBC is currently consulting on the impact of its radio station plans.

As the BBC’s independent regulator, it is for Ofcom to ensure that any adverse impact on the market is necessary for the effective fulfilment of the BBC’s Mission and Public Purposes, and robustly to hold the BBC to account in meeting its obligations both to its audiences and to the market. Ofcom will therefore review the evidence provided by the BBC with regard to its radio station plans and determine the materiality and impact of the changes.

The Government was clear in the Mid-Term Review about the importance of the BBC meaningfully engaging with its competitors when it is considering changes to its services. Given the number of new services proposed, it will be important that the BBC consults widely on the detail of the proposals – and for Ofcom to rigorously assess them before granting any approval.

Found: Q96 Lord Kamall: Mr Frangopoulos, thank you very much for coming here today.

Found: Kamall; Lord Knight of Weymouth; The Lord Bishop of Leeds; Lord McNally.

Found: meeting Members present: Baroness Stowell of Beeston (The Chair); Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill; Lord

Found: After Clause 73 LORD KAMALL LORD VAUX OF HARROWDEN LORD CLEMENT-JONES 195ZA _ After Clause

Found: LORD CLEMENT-JONES LORD KAMALL _ The above-named Lords give notice of their intention to oppose

Found: LORD CLEMENT-JONES LORD KAMALL _ The above-named Lords give notice of their intention to oppose

Found: LORD CLEMENT-JONES LORD KAMALL _ The above-named Lords give notice of their intention to oppose

Found: After Clause 73 LORD KAMALL _ After Clause 73, insert the following new Clause— “Right to