Planned reductions to BBC staff

That this House expresses concerns at the BBC’s plans to cut between 1,800 and 2,000 jobs, about one in 10, across various departments; notes that BBC management has also outlined spending reductions, including on travel, attending external events, and commissioning freelances, in addition to cutting posts; further notes the latest plans follow previous rounds of cuts that have led to reduced programming, loss of experience, unmanageable workloads, lower morale, and fewer opportunities; agrees with the National Union of Journalists that successive cuts risk severely undermining the BBC’s ability to fulfil its purposes of providing quality journalism and programming that informs, educates, and entertains; and therefore calls on the Government to recognise the BBC's value as a public service, provide urgent intervention, and use the opportunity afforded by the Charter Renewal process to guarantee the long-term financial sustainability of the broadcaster in order to protect the interests of workers and audiences alike.