text: Mark Spencer, the Conservative MP for Sherwood, in Nottinghamshire, said people in the Midlands give more than a quarter of the UK's total licence fee but only receive 2% of its investment.
  The debate was held in Westminster Hall, London.
  The BBC said Mr Spencer's figures did not take into account its increasing investment in the region.
  Mr Spencer said every other region, apart from the Midlands, had seen increased investment by the BBC.
  Julian Knight, the Conservative MP for Solihull and a former BBC employee, said it had become a "bi-polar organisation" with its centres in London and Salford.
  He said the Mailbox, the BBC's headquarters in Birmingham, "seemed to be full of the HR department, rather than people making programmes for our enjoyment".
  The Mailbox is the home of BBC Radio 4 dramas The Archers and Home Front, as well as the headquarters of its England Online team.
  However, MPs did praise programming set in the Midlands like Marvellous, which won two Baftas in 2015, Peaky Blinders and The Archers.
  Ed Vaizey, the Conservative minister for culture and communications, said the Prime Minister had stated the BBC's forthcoming charter renewal would be the time to ensure the Midlands got "a fair bang for its buck".
  "The BBC has a strong regional presence in other parts of the country," he said.
  "We are going to set out what we are doing in terms of charter renewal before the recess."
  Joe Godwin, director of BBC Birmingham, said: "The BBC is committed to having a significant presence in the Midlands.
  "The figures quoted in the press of Â£80m annual spend in the Midlands reflected estimates based on 2011/12 figures.
  "By the end of 15/16 we are confident that Midlands spend will be in excess of Â£125m."
target: The BBC needs to invest more in the Midlands, a cross-party group of MPs has said.