Chamber and committees

With the delay in evaluations, is there a danger that we will run behind the science? What assessment has been made of the potential risks of that to the environment and human health?

So we will just have to guess what the impact is. Thank you.

I will come back to Louise Thornton about the social media strategy. I was interested to hear that the BBC is now on TikTok. Will the BBC also be going on Twitch, for example? How do you see the platforms evolving, and what will be the BBC’s involvement in them?

Alex Paterson, I would like to ask about the particular issues around managing the historic assets that are under your care, particularly with regard to the masonry issues at the moment. We have had a submission from the Institute of Conservation, which said:

“There has been a lack of investment ... for many decades”.

That means that this is not a Covid issue or a cost of living issue but one that has been evolving over time. The submission also said:

“the burden of maintenance and repair is increasing.”

Do you recognise that the issue is having quite an impact on certain communities now? I use the example of Dunblane, where the graves at Dunblane cathedral have been fenced off for the best part of two years, and it is starting to make the historic quarter of the town look quite dilapidated. There is a lot of frustration about the impact on the surrounding community. It is a difficult issue, but do you recognise that? Do you see a way out of that situation? Some of our historic assets now are effectively being frozen and it is having an impact on many communities.

Great—thank you.

I move to Sir John Leighton and Lucy Casot on another issue. I am aware that there has been a programme on Scotland’s colonial history and legacy, which has been a detailed piece of work for museums and galleries. One of the recommendations from that is the principle of culturally important objects being potentially repatriated, and there being restitution. Is that work progressing with your institutions and, if so, how? Repatriation could be an opportunity to strengthen cultural links with former colonial countries and communities in the way, for example, that was achieved with the repatriation of the ghost dance shirt nearly 20 years ago, or it could be seen as losing attractive assets from collections. I am interested to know how that work is progressing.

What would be the implications for the BBC if Netflix bought Channel 4?

What direct or indirect impacts might the proposed sell-off of Channel 4 have on the BBC?

There have been examples where communication with the community has not been ideal. In the example that I gave from Dunblane, there are surrounding museums that are affected by the issue. Maybe you could take that away and consider the consistency of the approach. Everybody understands that there are budget constraints and that we are in a difficult time, but it is important to work with communities so that people understand when something will be fixed and how.

The committee has had some very strong evidence from the independent production sector about the potential impact. Where does the issue sit in your risk register? Are you concerned that the privatisation of Channel 4 might lead to certain indies not being here in a few years’ time? Would there be pressure on the BBC to support the independent sector at a higher level? What would be the impacts of that on your own budget and strategy? I know that, politically speaking, you cannot give us your views on the privatisation of Channel 4, but surely it could be very significant for your strategy.

I understand your reluctance to go on public record about Channel 4, but I hope that the board of the BBC is looking very carefully at the matter and that the financial risk as well as the risk to the whole sector, particularly the independent sector, is a matter of intense discussion.