First Special Report - The future of public service broadcasting: Government Response to Committee’s Sixth Report of Session 2019–21

This is the government's response, published 17 June 2021.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government agrees with the Committee that the need for public service broadcasting remains strong, says it is reviewing the system and will set out its position and next steps "later this year", and disagrees with parts of the report.

• On universality, it agrees this is "a core tenet" of public service broadcasting, but "does not agree" with the Committee's link between full-fibre availability and a wholly online system.
• On licence fee funding, it "notes" the Committee's view but does "not agree" that a decision is needed now. It has "no plans to change the model" before the Charter ends in December 2027.
• On prominence, it has "committed to acting on Ofcom's prominence recommendations including through legislation" "as soon as the legislative timetable allows", and expects to set out next steps later this year.
• On children's content, it says DCMS and the administrators will conduct a full evaluation of the pilot, after which "a decision will be taken on whether to close, maintain or expand the scheme".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error