New culture secretary John Whittingdale quizzed on BBC future
John Whittingdale has faced questions in the House of Commons about the future of the BBC for the first time since becoming culture secretary.
He was asked to give "a little clue as to [his] inclinations" about the BBC's forthcoming charter renewal by shadow culture secretary Chris Bryant. The minister responded quoting Mr Bryant's 2005 description of elements of the licence fee as "regressive". "You will have to await our conclusions," Mr Whittingdale added. "I would say I very much agree when you observe 'elements of the licence fee are regressive because everyone has to pay it, so it falls as a greater percentage of the income on the poorest people'." The quote was taken from a 2005 debate in which Mr Bryant went on to say the licence fee was "a good principle because it enables everyone in the country, whether rich or poor, to watch the best programming." Mr Whittingdale has been a critic of the licence fee in the past, saying last year it was "worse than a poll tax" and "unsustainable" in the long term. Some commentators have suggested his appointment could pose a threat to the corporation, prompting Mr Bryant to ask: "Is Auntie safe in your hands?" The current royal charter, which determines the level of the licence fee and the other terms under which the corporation operates, runs out at the end of 2016. The culture secretary agreed with Mr Bryant that its renewal involved "a tight timetable" but that he was "hoping we will be able to renew the charter on time". Before taking over at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Mr Whittingdale chaired the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee. Last year the committee said the licence fee was becoming "harder to justify and sustain" while conceding "there appears to be no realistic alternative... in the short term".