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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/media/live/2021/jun/15/bbc-diana-interview-martin-bashir-panorama-dyson-tony-hall-tim-davie-live
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| Diana Panorama interview ‘an absolute horror story and it should never have happened’, ex-BBC chief tells MPs – live | Diana Panorama interview ‘an absolute horror story and it should never have happened’, ex-BBC chief tells MPs – live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Former director general Lord Birt tells digital, culture, media and sport committee that Martin Bashir ‘fooled the BBC executives’ | Former director general Lord Birt tells digital, culture, media and sport committee that Martin Bashir ‘fooled the BBC executives’ |
| The questioning has moved on to other aspects of the running of BBC News. Davie says the “organisation will be a little smaller”. He says: | |
| And that concludes the day’s final evidence session. | |
| Asked about the programming of children’s content at the corporation, in relation to the likes of Tiny Happy People, Davie has said: | |
| The chair of the BBC, Richard Sharp, tells the MPs he believes there was a “confirmation bias”, a desire to see the best in Martin Bashir and possibly ... “overlooking and underestimating some of the ethical considerations he demonstrated in his private behaviour” when deciding to rehire him. | |
| Nicholson tells Davie it is suspicious that the document submitted by Tim Gardam could not be found among BBC archives and that the extent of the failings only came to light as a result of a copy of it being uncovered elsewhere. | |
| Davie responds that it was only as a result of the external inquiry he ordered that that copy was found. Nicholson, responding, tells Davie this was no thanks to the BBC and that his hand had been forced because the story was reported in other outlets after Spencer had given up on engaging with the BBC directly. | |
| Davie is asked to account for his treatment of Earl Spencer when he recently tried to raise concerns and, in the words of John Nicholson MP, was given the impression a cover-up would be launched. | Davie is asked to account for his treatment of Earl Spencer when he recently tried to raise concerns and, in the words of John Nicholson MP, was given the impression a cover-up would be launched. |
| Davie says he offered Spencer the opportunity to make clear what he knew. Nicholson responds, telling him Spencer inferred he would be offered nothing more than an internal investigation and that Davie’s tone had been “dismissive”. | |
| Dave repeats that his goal was to find out and assess the strength of the evidence Spencer had before ordering a costly external investigation. | Dave repeats that his goal was to find out and assess the strength of the evidence Spencer had before ordering a costly external investigation. |
| Asked if he thinks Bashir profited from the interview with Diana, Davie said: | Asked if he thinks Bashir profited from the interview with Diana, Davie said: |
| Witnesses earlier had suggested he did not profit from the interview, while the chair of the committee had claimed his future earnings were dependent on it. | Witnesses earlier had suggested he did not profit from the interview, while the chair of the committee had claimed his future earnings were dependent on it. |
| Asked how he felt when hearing about criticism from Prince William, the BBC’s director general Tim Davie has said: | Asked how he felt when hearing about criticism from Prince William, the BBC’s director general Tim Davie has said: |
| Davie declined to reveal whom he had spoken to, saying the meetings were private and in confidence – and that he is bound to respect that. | Davie declined to reveal whom he had spoken to, saying the meetings were private and in confidence – and that he is bound to respect that. |
| Asked about the process of rehiring Bashir, Davie says the 1996 review was seen as definitive and that the documentation the BBC had at the time and on which it based its decision have subsequently been shown to be inadequate. | Asked about the process of rehiring Bashir, Davie says the 1996 review was seen as definitive and that the documentation the BBC had at the time and on which it based its decision have subsequently been shown to be inadequate. |
| Davie says he does not believe the BBC held any evidence at the time that would have contradicted that. While he says the 1996 report identified some wrongdoing, it was not of a sufficient scale to prevent Bashir’s return. | Davie says he does not believe the BBC held any evidence at the time that would have contradicted that. While he says the 1996 report identified some wrongdoing, it was not of a sufficient scale to prevent Bashir’s return. |
| Davie agrees with Hall that, had all of the information had been available at the time, Bashir would not have been rehired. | Davie agrees with Hall that, had all of the information had been available at the time, Bashir would not have been rehired. |
| Tim Davie, the current director general, and the BBC chair Richard Sharp are now giving evidence. The former begins by denying he was reluctant to order a new review of Bashir’s actions. | Tim Davie, the current director general, and the BBC chair Richard Sharp are now giving evidence. The former begins by denying he was reluctant to order a new review of Bashir’s actions. |
| He says an investigation on the scale that would be required would be a substantial undertaking and he was, therefore, justified in trying to gather some evidence first. He says he acted “deliberately”. | He says an investigation on the scale that would be required would be a substantial undertaking and he was, therefore, justified in trying to gather some evidence first. He says he acted “deliberately”. |
| That concludes Birt’s evidence – there’s going to be brief adjournment before the final session. | That concludes Birt’s evidence – there’s going to be brief adjournment before the final session. |
| Birt, summarising his view on Bashir, tells the MPs: | Birt, summarising his view on Bashir, tells the MPs: |
| Birt says he “would like to understand” why Lord Hall and a fellow BBC executive Anne Sloman had not seen fit to pass on the findings of an investigation by Tim Gardam, the former head of weekly programmes. | Birt says he “would like to understand” why Lord Hall and a fellow BBC executive Anne Sloman had not seen fit to pass on the findings of an investigation by Tim Gardam, the former head of weekly programmes. |
| The report says that Bashir did tell Gardam about the faking of the documents, but was told by the journalist that he had not shown them to anyone. | The report says that Bashir did tell Gardam about the faking of the documents, but was told by the journalist that he had not shown them to anyone. |
| Birt says he suspected that his colleagues felt Bashir had offered sufficient justification for not being truthful about his practices. | Birt says he suspected that his colleagues felt Bashir had offered sufficient justification for not being truthful about his practices. |