BBC'S COVERAGE OF POLITICS

Early day motion 1586, tabled 8 July 2002 by Harry Barnes (Labour). Signed by 105 members.

That this House is deeply alarmed at reported proposals from the BBC to reduce its coverage of Parliament and politics on terrestrial television and, specifically, that regional political programmes should be shortened, that Despatch Box should be reduced from four slots per week to just one and that On the Record be scrapped and replaced by a shorter programme about national politics; believes that such proposals risk trivialising the BBC's output and downgrading the importance of Westminster in our national life, not least at a time when there is increasing concern about voter disengagement; further believes that dumbing down the BBC's commitment to politics on BBC1 and BBC2 runs counter to the precepts of the BBC Charter and the BBC's role as a public service broadcaster; and urges the BBC governors to rescind these plans.

Signatures by party: Labour 53, Conservative 33, Liberal Democrat 8, Labour/Co-operative 5, UUP 4, Plaid Cymru 2.