Select committee: Public Accounts Committee
Conclusion 28
56th Report - BBC Accounts and Trust Statement 2024–25
Published 21 Nov 2025
Addressed to HM Treasury
Public Accounts Committee BBC Accounts and Trust Statement 2024-25 All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
We heard that the BBC is widely trusted, with the Chair highlighting the World Service as a clear illustration of the BBC’s global reach and reputation.65 At the same time, the BBC is also focused on strengthening its connection with audiences at home; it described its Across the UK programme as an initiative to move jobs, investment, and creative output beyond London to better serve and represent audiences across all regions and nations of the UK.66 In its Annual Report and Accounts, the BBC framed the programme under “Delivering across the UK” and “Our audiences,” positioning Across the UK as a corporate priority for audience engagement across the nations and regions.67 The BBC 59 BBC Group Annual Report and Accounts 2024–25, p. 113 60 Q 75 61 Q 76 62 Qq 76, 78, 79 63 Q 76 64 Q 79 65 Q 86 66 Qq 72, 73 67 BBC Group Annual Report and Accounts 2024–25, p. 46, 52 16 described the purpose of Across the UK as to “level out our appeal and usage through the UK” ensuring its services remain relevant to audiences in all regions and nations.68
From: Public Accounts Committee, 56th Report - BBC Accounts and Trust Statement 2024–25 (HC 1230), 21 November 2025
Government response
Latest Treasury Minutes progress report to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Fifty-sixth Report of Session 2024-26
The government responded to the whole report on 4 June 2026 (deadline 21 January 2026).
Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Fifty-sixth report from Session 2024-26
Published 19 January 2026.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The BBC's response agrees with some recommendations, partially agrees with others and disagrees with the recommendation to report on targets for reducing "no-licence needed" declarations and evasion.
- On licence fee collection, the BBC agrees with modernising collection and enforcement for online viewing, but says it is not "currently practical to set a firm timeline".
- It disagrees with reporting progress against targets for "no-licence needed" declarations and evasion, saying "an evasion target is not considered appropriate" and a target for NLNs would not be appropriate.
- On digital licences, the BBC agrees and "will consider the regulatory aspects and practicalities" of making an e-licence the default, with an update in the Licence Fee Trust Statement for 2025/26.
- On commercial returns, the BBC partially agrees, saying it "will ensure" BBC Commercial's overall returns including dividends are published annually in its Annual Report and Accounts, with a target date of 2026.