Alistair Carmichael – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Carmichael on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support her Department has provided to public service broadcasting of UK minority languages; and if she will make a statement.

Matt Hancock

The BBC Charter Review has recently considered the BBC’s contribution to minority language broadcasting. A clearer commitment to each minority language has been included in the draft BBC Framework Agreement, setting out the need for the BBC to continue to deliver output in Welsh, Gaelic, the Irish language and Ulster-Scots.

There is also a new commitment for the BBC to continue their partnership with MG Alba for the next 11 years and arrangements for continued partnership with S4C are also in place.

The Government provides Exchequer funding to S4C – in 2015-16 this was £6.782 million. The Government also provides £3 million p.a. to the Irish Language Broadcasting Fund and £1 million p.a. to the Ulster-Scots Broadcasting Fund which are administered via Northern Ireland Screen.