Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-05-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the proposals in his Department’s White Paper, A BBC for the future, published in May 2016, what discussions he has had with the BBC on reducing the level of salary arrangements for managerial and celebrity appointments.
Mr Edward Vaizey
I have had discussions with the BBC throughout the Charter Review process. Although the level at which the BBC pays its managerial and talent appointments is a matter for the BBC, the Government’s White Paper, A BBC for the future: a Broadcaster of Distinction, sets out that the BBC will maintain the current cap on talent spend of a maximum of 16 per cent of internal content costs. As part of their duty to ensure the BBC delivers value for money, the new BBC board will also have a duty to manage talent costs and conduct and report on a rolling programme of talent pay reviews, with independent, expert advice. The new Board’s remuneration committee will have to approve salaries above £250K and publish the names of those paid over £450K.
