The results of the BBC consultation report make for interesting reading. Both I and my SNP colleagues are strongly committed to a vibrant, creative and diverse BBC which is editorially independent and decentralised. I am therefore pleased to see that the consultation has secured responses making suggestions as to how the quality of BBC programming could be improved, and I am also delighted to note that a large proportion of the responses also suggest that the BBC should remain independent from both Parliament and government.
Although I am pleased to see that the consultation makes the suggestion that the licence fee should be retained, both I and my SNP Westminster colleagues believe that the system for paying should be modernised, and should primarily be based on the ability to pay. It is also our opinion that BBC Scotland should receive a fairer share of BBC income, reflecting more accurately the licence fee revenue raised here in Scotland. Correcting the mismatch between the £335 million income for the BBC which is raised in Scotland and the £35 million spent on TV production in Scotland would ensure that creative talent in our country is unlocked.
The consultation does also appear to have raised some questions about how well the BBC serves the specific interests of Scotland. Although the SNP believes that the responsibility for broadcasting in Scotland should transfer from Westminster to the Scottish Parliament, we are supportive of moves to more devolved arrangements for the BBC with greater powers and funding for the different national and regional broadcasting areas, such as BBC Scotland. A federal structure, which devolves full editorial and commissioning control will allow the BBC to properly represent all of the nations and regions in the United Kingdom.
