Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus and Perthshire Glens)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Centre for Media Monitoring's review of the BBC's reporting on the conflict in Gaza, published on 16 June 2025.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government has not carried out a formal assessment of the potential implications of this report for its policy.
The Government’s position is that editorial decisions are ultimately for the BBC, and that its editorial independence from Government is vital. This principle protects the BBC from political interference so that it can report impartially, hold all politicians to account and be a trusted source of information for everyone.
The BBC’s duty to provide accurate and impartial information is particularly important when it comes to coverage of highly sensitive issues such as the conflict in Gaza. As the external independent regulator of the BBC, Ofcom is responsible for ensuring BBC coverage is duly impartial and accurate under the Broadcasting Code and BBC Charter.