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 impact of the BBC’s proposal to introduce advertising on podcasts and on-demand content streamed through third-party services on the commercial (a) news and (b) audio sectors.

The BBC has responsibilities set out in its Charter to avoid unnecessary adverse impacts on the market, which were underscored in the Government’s recent Mid-Term Review. The Government will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the reforms as we approach the renewal of the BBC’s Charter.

As the BBC’s independent regulator, it is for Ofcom to robustly hold the BBC to account in meeting its obligations to both its audiences and the market, as set out in the Royal Charter and Framework Agreement.