BBC Charter: Government response to Lords committee
DCMS response (13 pages, PDF) to the November 2005 report by a select committee of the House of Lords on the BBC Charter Review.
The Government rejects the suggestions of an Act of Parliament governing the BBC, and of a more unitary governance structure with regulation transferred to a strengthened Ofcom Content Board. Instead of the paper affirms a definite intention to establish a "BBC Trust" separate from the BBC's board, and proposes no change to the scope of Ofcom's powers over the BBC. The Government also confirms its intention to fund digital switch-over through the BBC licence fee.
On the "public value test", market impact assessment, cross-promotion, the fair trading commitment and independent production quotas, the Government merely notes the views of the Lords' committee and promises to announce its conclusions in the forthcoming White Paper.
