BBC Inside Out and Politics North East and Cumbria

That this House is concerned to learn the important BBC regional programme Inside Out North East and Cumbria is under threat as the corporation seeks to make cuts to programming; understands that regional segments of the Politics North East and Cumbria are similarly threatened; regrets that all filming of these award-winning BBC regional current affairs programmes have been postponed and these programmes look likely to be shelved following an internal review expected by the end of June 2020; notes that Inside Out is a unique programme, rooted in the heart of our communities, investigating and holding those in power to account and telling remarkable stories of life across the region; further notes that the programme has helped to bring issues of public concern to national attention, serving a valuable function in the democratic life at local authority and constituency-wide level; and supports the call of the National Union of Journalists for the BBC to rethink the proposals to cut those vital, local current affairs programmes.