Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2022 to Question 110225 on BBC Monitoring and BBC World Service: Finance, for what reason the BBC Monitoring Service (BBCM) was not referred to in that Answer; what changes there have been in the size of the overall budget allocated to BBCM since the closure of Caversham Park; and what undertakings have been sought and received from the BBC by the Government on future levels of funding to be allocated to BBCM.  [115827]

[Due for Answer on 4 February]

ANSWER

The Minister of State for Media and Data (Julia Lopez): The BBC is responsible for the funding, staffing and administration of Monitoring, which is provided under a specific “BBC Monitoring Agreement” between the BBC and government. The agreement provides assurances that core services will be funded by the BBC from Licence Fee Revenue.

The BBC is operationally and editorially independent of the government, and is independently responsible for approving the high-level strategy for BBC Monitoring and the budget for the core services.

The Government is satisfied with BBC Monitoring's ability to deliver the service based on agreed performance targets under the current funding model. Additional BBC Monitoring Services are subject to further contractual agreement and require funding directly from the recipient.

The BBC’s Annual Reports and Accounts show it spent £5.8 million on BBC Monitoring in 2015/16 and £4 million on BBC Monitoring on 2020/21.