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

To ask Her Majesty's Government how their mid-term review of the BBC Charter will be informed by Ofcom’s review of the BBC’s operating licence.

Ofcom is independent of the government and the government has no say over Ofcom’s operational decisions. A review of the BBC's operating licence and service requirements is therefore for Ofcom as the BBC’s regulator.

The Mid-Term Review of the Royal Charter offers an opportunity for the government to consider whether current governance and regulatory arrangements for the BBC are working effectively, including the effectiveness of the regulation by Ofcom.

We will start the preparations now, ahead of the review starting formally next year, as the Royal Charter sets out.