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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with the BBC on the adequacy of the political impartiality in its news and current affairs output.

The Secretary of State meets regularly with the Chair of the BBC to discuss a wide range of issues.

For any public service broadcaster, accountability and trust are key. It is important that the BBC continues to demonstrate how it is working diligently to maintain the highest standards. The BBC is editorially and operationally independent of Government, and this is a crucial component of why people trust it.

The Charter Review is a key opportunity to set the BBC up for success long into the future. The Charter Review Green Paper published in December sets out the Government's ambition to ensure the BBC remains a trusted, independent source of news and consults on options to ensure it maintains the highest editorial standards.