Written evidence submitted by BBC (TV 04)

The three main UK broadcasters welcome the Administration Committee's inquiry into the broadcasting rules relating to the coverage of the Chamber, Westminster Hall and committees. We are keen to work with the Parliamentary authorities to better reflect the fact that audience interest in Parliament is at an all-time high. Parliament has changed the way it conducts business - through Urgent Questions and backbench committee petitions - Parliamentary actuality is more prominent in TV bulletins and we are confident that coverage can be further improved to bring it more into line with the quality that audiences now expect to see. Some suggested changes are set out below:

·Increase the use of relevant listening shots in debate coverage

·Encourage director of broadcasting to explore improved camera angles to better show faces of frontbench and other Parliamentarians as they speak - current top-shots of speakers are unflattering and excluding. This makes it harder both for the audience to relate to the debate and for us to capture the intimacy of the Chamber.

·Permit filming of visitors to galleries at the point when they're specifically referred to on the floor of the House (on the occasion of the retirement of the doorman Drill Sergeant Eddie Mackay in December 2011 for instance)

·Film the Division lobbies on a trial basis

February 2012