BBC FUNDING AND THE FUTURE OF WELSH-LANGUAGE BROADCASTER S4C
That this House notes that currently eight per cent of the budget for the Welsh-language channel S4C comes from the licence fee, but that from 2023 the broadcaster will be dependent on the licence fee settlement; further notes that the BBC has an important public service remit, and that S4C plays a very important role in the culture and media landscape in Wales; is therefore seriously concerned about the effect of declining real-terms funding in licence fee revenue, along with the transfer of additional costs to the BBC, which already amounts to a reduction of approximately 20 per cent in resources spent on services to licence fee payers since the start of the decade; believes that given this situation the BBC cannot now afford to pay the £745 million it would cost to maintain free TV licences for the over-75s by 2021/22 without this having a significantly detrimental impact on the range and equality of services; agrees with the National Union of Journalists and the Federation of Entertainment Unions that the BBC should rule out subsiding television licences for the over-75s; and believes that the Government should provide the necessary funding for this concession from general taxation instead.
Saville Roberts, Liz
Dwyfor Meirionnydd
Stevens, Jo
Cardiff Central
Linden, David
Glasgow East
Stephens, Chris
Glasgow South West
Docherty-Hughes, Martin
Bardell, Hannah
Brown, Alan
Kilmarnock and Loudoun
Hendry, Drew
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey