BBC DRAMA PRODUCTION IN THE WEST MIDLANDS

Early day motion 2258, tabled 15 October 2008 by John Hemming (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 9 members.

That this House is concerned with the movement of the production of Doctors from Birmingham to Manchester; notes that this is the last remaining television drama production in the Midlands; is worried that this implies the cessation of BBC drama production in Birmingham, which would cause an exodus of the highly skilled technicians based in the Midlands and further decrease the work opportunities for Midland-based actors and dramatic writers, and terminate the training opportunities for people wishing to pursue a career in television drama production in the Midlands, including writers, technicians and actors, damage the local peripheral economy in supply and training that links and interacts with a television production facility and severely damage a growing media industry in the Midlands; believes that the BBC should maintain flagship drama production in Birmingham; and calls upon the BBC to review its proposals.

Signatures by party: Labour 6, Liberal Democrat 3.