BBC World Service 2024-25

Public Accounts Committee Open Inquiry
Opened: 30 Jul 2025 Parliament page
Globally, the BBC World Service, which aims to reflect the UK, its culture and values to the world, had a weekly audience of 320m in 2023-24. Since 2022, the BBC has reduced expenditure on the BBC World Service, in part driven by falling licence fee income, with savings plans announced … Read more
7 Recommendations
20 Conclusions
1 Report
1 Oral session
2 Letters
1 Event
Activity timeline 4 events
29 Jun
2026
Correspondence
13 Mar
2026
Report published
26 Jan
2026
Correspondence
8 Jan
2026
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
8 Jan 2026
View on parliament.uk
Fiona Crack · BBC World Service Jonathan Munro · BBC Tim Davie CBE · BBC
Title HC No. Published Items Response
72nd Report - BBC World Service HC 1299 13 Mar 2026 27 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
6 results
Clear
4 Recommendation Rejected
72nd Report - BBC World Service
The BBC’s ability to carry out long-term planning of the World Service is hampered by...
The BBC’s ability to carry out long-term planning of the World Service is hampered by repeated short-term funding agreements from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Since 2021–22, the FCDO has provided around 30% of funding for the BBC … Read more
Government Response
The government disagrees and states that it would be premature to commit to a specific long-term funding model ahead of the Charter Review, but the FCDO has confirmed grant-in-aid funding of £148 million per year for 2026–27 to 2028–29.
HM Treasury
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10 Conclusion Rejected
72nd Report - BBC World Service
Funded by the licence fee and FCDO grant-in-aid, total BBC World Service funding has fallen...
Funded by the licence fee and FCDO grant-in-aid, total BBC World Service funding has fallen 21% in real terms over the period 2021–22 to 2025–26. In response to falling real-terms funding, the Service has been implementing its savings programmes since … Read more
Government Response
The government disagrees with the implicit recommendation to address the funding decline, stating it is premature to commit to a specific long-term funding model for the BBC World Service ahead of the upcoming BBC Charter Review, while confirming interim funding.
HM Treasury
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17 Conclusion Rejected
72nd Report - BBC World Service
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) have provided around a quarter of the BBC...
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) have provided around a quarter of the BBC World Service’s funding since it restarted funding in 2016–17. In return for this funding, the BBC must ensure that the World Service meets certain requirements … Read more
Government Response
The government disagrees with maintaining the existing funding model for BBC World Service as described, stating it would be premature to commit to a specific long-term funding model before the BBC Charter Review, where it will explore bespoke long-term funding arrangements, though interim funding is confirmed.
HM Treasury
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18 Conclusion Rejected
72nd Report - BBC World Service
Since 2016–17 the FCDO has set out its funding for the World Service for between...
Since 2016–17 the FCDO has set out its funding for the World Service for between one and four years at a time, as well as providing additional funding for specific purposes, such as additional coverage of the Russia- Ukraine conflict. … Read more
Government Response
The government disagrees with committing to a specific long-term funding model now, stating it would be premature ahead of the BBC Charter Review ending December 2027. They will explore multi-year budget options as part of the Charter Review and have confirmed interim funding of £148 million per year for 2026–27 to 2028–29.
HM Treasury
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19 Conclusion Rejected
72nd Report - BBC World Service
The BBC told us that its ability to effectively carry out long-term budgeting and strategy...
The BBC told us that its ability to effectively carry out long-term budgeting and strategy planning is hampered by the FCDO’s funding approach. For example, the BBC noted that, at the time of our evidence session on 8 January, it … Read more
Government Response
The government disagrees with committing to a specific long-term funding model now, stating it would be premature ahead of the BBC Charter Review ending December 2027. They will explore multi-year budget options as part of the Charter Review and have confirmed interim funding of £148 million per year for 2026–27 to 2028–29.
HM Treasury
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20 Conclusion Rejected
72nd Report - BBC World Service
We asked the BBC what it would do if it were to receive the funding...
We asked the BBC what it would do if it were to receive the funding settlement it requested from the FCDO. The BBC told us that it was grateful that the FCDO had increased funding by £30 million in 2025–26 … Read more
Government Response
The government states it disagrees with the committee's perceived recommendation regarding funding for the BBC World Service. It explains it is premature to commit to a specific long-term funding model ahead of the Charter Review but confirms interim grant-in-aid funding of £148 million per year for 2026–27 to 2028–29.
HM Treasury
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Government Response AI assessment · 27 of 7 classified
Accepted 20
Acknowledged 1
Rejected 6
Total 7 recs + 20 conclusions
Correspondence 2 letters
29 Jun 2026 To committee Letter from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Multilateral, Human Rights, Latin America and the Caribbean relating to steps the FCDO is taking to improve conditions for journalists working in hostile environments, 4 June 2026
Parliament page
26 Jan 2026 To committee Letter from the Global Director of BBC News relating to the Committee’s evidence session on 08 January 2026 on BBC World Service 2024–25, 21 January 2026
Parliament page