BBC

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 11:36 am on 12 May 2016.

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Photo of John Whittingdale John Whittingdale The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 11:36, 12 May 2016

I very much agree with my hon. Friend, who is right to highlight this point. A number of people have been pressing this matter, not least my hon. Friend the Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy, who is sitting beside me, and Mr Lammy, whom I am pleased to see in his place. I would also like to thank Lenny Henry, who has been in to talk to us several times about the matter.

I agree with my hon. Friend Mrs Grant, because research we have conducted shows that, although appreciation of the BBC is high throughout the country, there is a feeling, particularly among some black, Asian and minority ethnic audiences, that they are underserved. We are very keen to address that, in terms of both the diverse range of talent behind the camera and in the production process and those who appear on-screen. In particular, we want to ensure that those who choose to watch the BBC, from every section of our community, find programming they want to watch.