Thank you for contacting me about the Balen Report.
I appreciate your concerns with this matter. It is absolutely right that trust needs to be restored in a culture of transparency and accountability within the BBC.
As the BBC is operationally and editorially independent of Government, the decision whether to publish the Balen Report is a matter for the corporation itself, with the Government having no involvement in the matter.
Despite this, it is the job of Government to ensure that there is a strong and robust system of governance at the BBC with effective external oversight. I welcome that this was delivered as part of fundamental changes to the renewal of the BBC’s Charter in 2015-16, with Ofcom operating as the independent regulator responsible for overseeing the BBC’s content and being the ultimate adjudicator of complaints.
Furthermore, the Mid-Term Review of the Royal Charter offers an opportunity for the Government to consider whether the current governance and regulatory arrangements for the BBC are working effectively, including the effectiveness of the regulation by Ofcom. I look forward to the outcome of this review, which I am confident will be based on a thorough and robust examination of the current regime.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
