Lords Communications Committee to quiz Lucy Frazer on the future of the BBC, Media Bill, the UK’s creative industries, and SLAPPs
Monday 11 September 2023
The House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee will hold a one-off accountability session with Lucy Frazer MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
The session will give the Committee the opportunity to press the Minister for details of progress made on key issues identified in its previous reports including on the governance and funding of the BBC, the future of the UK’s creative industries, and protecting journalists and others from lawfare to silence critics (SLAPPs). The session will also cover the Media Bill and the priority the Government is giving this as part of the upcoming legislative agenda.
The evidence session will start at 11:00am on Wednesday 13 September in Committee Room 4 of the House of Lords. The full witness details are:
- Rt Hon Lucy Frazer KC MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, DCMS
- Susannah Story, Permanent Secretary, DCMS
Issues the Committee will question the witnesses on include:
- BBC funding and governance – Whether the Government will launch a review of the licence fee and how this would be structured; progress on recommendations set out in the Committee’s BBC future funding report; and efforts to address issues arising from recent controversies involving the BBC, including around governance.
- SLAPPs – How the Government will build on the progress it has made on SLAPPs including providing protection for journalists before SLAPPs cases make it to court; future legislative plans; and whether the Government will take on the Committee’s recommendation for a SLAPPs defence fund, financed by fines levied by the courts or regulator.
- The UK Creative industries – Progress against recent Government commitments; and how the Government will ensure coherence between digital and creative industries policy following changes in departmental responsibilities.
- The Media Bill – What priority the Bill has in the Government’s legislative agenda; and how the Government responds to concerns arising from moves to grant more flexibility in the regulation of public sector broadcasters.
