Rt Hon John Whittingdale OBE MP Minister of State for Media and Data 4th Floor 100 Parliament Street London SW1A 2BQ

www.gov.uk/dcms [email protected]

Rt Hon Stephen Crabb MP Chair MC2021/11688/DC Welsh Affairs Committee 10 June 2021 House of Commons London SW1A 0AA

Dear Stephen,

Thank you for your letter dated 19 May 2021 concerning the 2022 Licence Fee Settlement and S4C’s funding. As you know, the government is committed to the future of Welsh language broadcasting and of S4C. S4C has an important position as the only Welsh Language broadcaster. It makes a valuable contribution to the Welsh economy, culture and society and plays a key role in promoting the Welsh language. S4C’s value was once again apparent in the key role it played in keeping Welsh citizens informed throughout the Coronavirus pandemic.

I would like to assure you that my department is engaging S4C in parallel, but separate negotiations to the BBC. This is in recognition of S4C’s unique position and distinctive operating model, and will ensure that S4C receives a full and proper consideration and is not overshadowed by the much larger BBC.

The Government is also committed to greater transparency as part of this Licence Fee Settlement. The Secretary of State set out a clear process, and his expectations, in his letters to the BBC and S4C in November. We have published formal correspondence between the government and the BBC and S4C on the government’s website. The Secretary of State will lay his final determination before Parliament to allow time for debate before the settlement takes effect.

As you can appreciate, with negotiations underway, we need to keep an open mind on the level of the licence fee and it would not be appropriate to comment on the level of licence fee income which S4C will receive, which will be a product of that process.

I am copying this letter to Simon Hart, the Secretary of State for Wales for information.

Thank you again for writing to me on this important issue.

With best wishes,

Rt Hon John Whittingdale OBE MP Minister of State for Media and Data