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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of freezing the TV Licence fee until 2024 on the BBC’s educational output.

The Government recognises that the BBC’s educational output is an important element of its public purpose. The BBC’s educational offer over lockdown was a demonstration of public service broadcasting at its best and has made a big difference to millions of children across the UK while schools are closed.

The BBC will receive £23 billion over the rest of this Charter period, allowing it to deliver its mission and public purposes and to continue doing what it does best. The Royal Charter requires the BBC to provide specialist educational content to help support learning for children and teenagers across the United Kingdom.

As the BBC is operationally and editorially independent it is up to the BBC to decide how it spends its licence fee settlement. The Government wants to see it deliver the best quality services and output possible with the funding it receives from the public.