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 trends in the level of the tv license.

As of 1 April 2026, the annual cost of the colour TV licence will increase by £5.50, in line with CPI inflation. This uplift will provide the BBC with a stable financial footing to continue delivering for audiences and supporting the wider creative industries.

Under the 2022 Licence Fee Settlement, the cost of the licence fee was frozen for two years and then required to increase annually in line with CPI inflation until the end of the current Charter Period (2027). The Culture Secretary committed to increasing the licence fee in line with CPI annually for the remainder of this Charter Period in a Written Ministerial Statement in 2024.

As part of the Charter Review, the government is looking at a range of options to ensure the BBC’s funding model is sustainable while also being fair and affordable for households.