PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
BBC regional political monitoring of Parliament (13 July 2021)

That this House is deeply concerned by proposals to reduce the number of staff working in the BBC Regional Political Unit based at Millbank by over a third; notes that the unit is the eyes and ears of the BBC English regions in Westminster, co-ordinating political newsgathering for the BBC’s early evening regional TV news programme, as well as the regional breakfast, lunchtime and late evening TV bulletins and Sunday political programmes and across all local radio output; further notes that the unit is often the only part of the BBC watching backbench business and adjournment debates where hon. Members can raise important local issues which might not make it onto the national news; fears that such a staff reduction will have an impact on capacity to spotting stories, keeping the regions informed about what their hon. Members are doing and enabling public awareness of questions and contributions from backbench hon. Members; is concerned by BBC management’s failure to identify the activities currently undertaken which will be withdrawn or diminished as a result of staff reductions; fears that such a reduction in staff numbers will substantially reduce the monitoring of backbenchers’ contributions and threaten a substantial fall in the number of local clips of hon. Members speaking in Parliament provided for TV and radio; and therefore calls on the BBC to ensure that it continues to finance a properly staffed Regional Political Unit so that the public can be well-informed on debates in Parliament.

Sponsored by:
Ian Mearns (Labour)