BBC staff will be asked to disclose details of their family income and upbringing, as part of new plans to ensure that the corporation is not dominated by the middle classes.

The BBC will announce today that all new employees will be asked to answer a range of questions about their socio-economic background, including whether they were entitled to free school meals as a child, which the broadcaster says will allow it work out whether its workforce reflects modern Britain.

The BBC has faced pressure from ministers, during the ongoing talks over the corporation’s new royal charter, to increase the numbers of staff from underrepresented backgrounds, both on-screen and behind the camera.