The BBC has launched a new strategy that aims to improve the number of black and Asian staff at leadership levels within the organisation.

The plans include aims for the number of Black Asian and ethnic minorities of all staff to be 14.2% by 2017 and 15% by the year 2020.

The BBC is aiming for 10% of Black Asian and ethnic minorities to be leadership roles by 2017.

A target to have Black, Asian and ethnic minorities on screen, on air and in lead roles has been set at 15%.

There is also a bid to have 50% of female staff in leadership roles by 2020.

Tony Hall, BBC Director-General, said: “We have made some excellent progress to date on diversity and social mobility – and we should celebrate that – but we can, and must, do more.

"At its very core, our purpose is to represent everyone and give opportunities to people from all backgrounds.

“The BBC has a breadth and scale that is unique in the UK’s media and that means what we do has real impact. So I want us to make sure we are leading by example, working with and learning from others in the industry, and using our influence to bring about real change.”

Tunde Ogungbesan, BBC Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Succession, said: “We want diversity and inclusion to be business as usual at the BBC and at the heart of everything we do on and off air.

“That’s why I believe diversity includes everyone. The BBC belongs to everyone in the UK whatever their background so everyone at the BBC has a responsibility to ensure that we represent, and are representative of, the public we serve.”

The plans will also set challenging new on-air portrayal targets for disabled people, women, ethnic minorities, and LGBT people which go wider and further than ever before, to ensure our content reflects the public we serve.

There will be an aim to develop industry-leading diversity commissioning guidelines in consultation with the independent production sector and in-house production, using our position in the industry to ensure that anyone who makes programmes for us shares our values and commitments.

There are plans to create a centre of excellence for the 'commissioning and development of diverse programmes and programme-makers' based in Birmingham.

These announcements will build on package of measures announced by Tony Hall since he became BBC Director-General in 2013.