{"id":636,"date":"2020-06-22T23:28:13","date_gmt":"2020-06-22T23:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test.johnwhittingdale.co.uk\/?p=636"},"modified":"2021-08-16T16:57:12","modified_gmt":"2021-08-16T16:57:12","slug":"regional-bbc-coverage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.johnwhittingdale.org.uk\/?p=636","title":{"rendered":"Regional BBC coverage"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"PhotoJohn Whittingdale<\/span> Minister of State<\/small> <\/a> 7:28 pm, 22nd June 2020 <\/a><\/h2>\n
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I congratulate my hon. Friend Neil Parish<\/a> on holding this important debate. It is certainly one of the best attended Adjournment debates that I have been present at, as well as one of the longest, but perhaps more important is the fact that there have been a large number of excellent contributions and a large degree of agreement across the House on the importance of the BBC\u2019s regional politics and current affairs coverage. I welcome Christian Matheson<\/a>, who has been in his place<\/a> throughout the entire debate. I am delighted to see him in his new role as Opposition<\/a> spokesman.<\/p>\n

I will also take this opportunity to congratulate Tim Davie<\/a> on his appointment as director-general, and to pay tribute to Lord Hall<\/a>, who has served as director-general for seven years. He took over the position in challenging times, and I think it fair to say that they have remained fairly challenging throughout his time, but he has done an excellent job in bringing leadership to the BBC. I certainly enjoyed working with him during our debates on the renewal of the BBC\u2019s charter.<\/p>\n

As my hon. Friend Andy Carter<\/a> said, the BBC has also played an extremely important role in the course of the past few months during this crisis. It has provided important factual information and reinforced the Government\u2019s messaging. It has also provided great entertainment, and it has done a great job in providing programming for children unable to attend classes in schools through BBC Bitesize<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I want to start by saying that I am a strong supporter of the BBC and I also believe very strongly in the independence of the BBC. It is not for the Government to instruct the BBC how to fulfil the objectives that it is set in the charter. The Government have three roles when it comes to the BBC. It is to draw up the charter, which sets out the purposes of the BBC. However, the way in which the BBC meets those is a matter for the BBC under the scrutiny of Ofcom<\/a>. The Government also have a role in the appointment of the chair of the BBC and some Members of the board and, thirdly, in the setting of the licence fee.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n