Mr John Redwood (Wokingham) (Con): Does my hon. Friend share my worry that the BBC puts out an enormous internet and web offering for free, thus undercutting other news and cultural providers who might otherwise be able to do a better job?
Alun Cairns (Vale of Glamorgan) (Con): I certainly do agree, and I will discuss the scale of the BBC and how it squeezes out competition and innovation from other independent quarters.
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Mr Redwood: I am interested in the right hon. Lady’s point about the very high payoffs going to managers. What does she think should be done about the very high salaries and payoffs going to managers and talent when it is paid for by a poll tax that, among other things, is levied on a large number of people who have very little income at all?
Dame Tessa Jowell (Dulwich and West Norwood) (Lab): I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his intervention. I think that transparency is absolutely of the essence in that regard. The BBC, as an independent entity, must be able to account to licence fee payers for the decisions taken about remuneration. I certainly think that increased transparency would be one of the ways of rebuilding trust.
October 22, 2013
Well done for getting involved in the BBC debate but surely there is only one question that needs to be addressed about the BBC and that is the method of its funding?