Asia: BBC World Service
(asked on 23rd January 2023) - View Source
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the role of the BBC World Service in supporting the free press in (a) India, (b) Pakistan and (c) China.
Answered by
David Rutley
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO strongly values the BBC World Service's role in delivering high-quality and impartial broadcasting, particularly where free speech is limited. The Integrated Review states that the BBC's foreign language services are part of what makes the UK a soft power superpower.
Through the World2020 programme, the FCDO funds services in Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi and Telugu, serving audiences in India and Pakistan. World2020 funding also supports the World Service's digital transformation (the BBC China service is a Licence Fee funded, digital-only service) and support's the BBC's work on countering disinformation. The BBC has also announced that a new China Global Unit is being established, to tell the global story of China's impact and influence in different parts of the world.
The UK Government remains committed to the World Service, and its important role in delivering trusted, accurate and independent broadcasting worldwide.