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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with Ofcom on changes to COSTA advertising rules for public service broadcasters; and whether her Department was given a copy of Ofcom's impact assessment on these changes.

The department routinely engages with Ofcom on matters relating to broadcast advertising. In accordance with their duties under section 24A of the Communications Act 2003 (as inserted by the Digital Economy Act 2017), Ofcom shared their consultation on the proposed revisions to the rules governing the quantity and scheduling of television advertising on public service broadcasting channels with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport the day before publication.

The consultation sets out how Ofcom considers its proposals fit with its duties under the Communications Act 2003 and includes research exploring the potential audience impact of changes to their rules.

This issue is ultimately at the discretion of Ofcom as the independent regulator administering the Code. Ofcom plans to publish a statement in response to their consultation in due course.