Harriet Harman MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, responding to the select committee report on the BBC licence fee, said:

“We welcome the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee’s report as a contribution to an important debate. The BBC is an institution of enormous importance. It is loved in this country and admired around the world. Labour supports a strong, independent BBC funded by the licence fee. It remains one of our most trusted and respected organisations at home and abroad and the mixed economy of commercial and public service broadcasters working alongside one another has served the UK well.

“As new technology brings great change the BBC needs constantly to strive to provide better value for licence fee payers. The committee has laid out some of the key issues that should be considered as part of the Charter renewal process.”