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| Thompson: BBC Trust 'fully informed' over £949,000 Byford payoff | Thompson: BBC Trust 'fully informed' over £949,000 Byford payoff |
| (2 months later) | |
| Former director general Mark Thompson – now president and CEO of the New York Times – has claimed the BBC Trust was fully aware of the controversial £949,000 payoff given to senior executive Mark Byford. | Former director general Mark Thompson – now president and CEO of the New York Times – has claimed the BBC Trust was fully aware of the controversial £949,000 payoff given to senior executive Mark Byford. |
| Thompson, in a statement issued on Thursday, said the BBC Trust was "fully informed in advance, in writing as well as orally" about the proposed severance package for Byford, the corporation's former deputy director general who left in 2011. | Thompson, in a statement issued on Thursday, said the BBC Trust was "fully informed in advance, in writing as well as orally" about the proposed severance package for Byford, the corporation's former deputy director general who left in 2011. |
| Although the decision to make Byford redundant was made in October 2010, he remained on staff for a further eight months before receiving his full redundancy payment, 12 months' salary worth £474,500, with a further £474,500 pay in lieu of notice. | Although the decision to make Byford redundant was made in October 2010, he remained on staff for a further eight months before receiving his full redundancy payment, 12 months' salary worth £474,500, with a further £474,500 pay in lieu of notice. |
| At the time the BBC Trust was chaired by Sir Michael Lyons. He was replaced by Patten in May 2011. | At the time the BBC Trust was chaired by Sir Michael Lyons. He was replaced by Patten in May 2011. |
| Thompson said he had made sure the trust was "aware of and understood all potentially contentious issues", including the fact that formal notice would not be served at once. | Thompson said he had made sure the trust was "aware of and understood all potentially contentious issues", including the fact that formal notice would not be served at once. |
| He also said he was not involved in the negotiation or approval of the £375,000 severance package for the BBC's former director of archive content Roly Keating, who left last year to become British Library chief executive. "If I had been consulted, I would not have approved it," he said. | He also said he was not involved in the negotiation or approval of the £375,000 severance package for the BBC's former director of archive content Roly Keating, who left last year to become British Library chief executive. "If I had been consulted, I would not have approved it," he said. |
| Thompson, who is due to give evidence to the Commons public accounts select committee in the autumn, said: "I am looking forward to laying the facts in front of the public accounts committee in person, but there are a couple of inaccuracies that emerged in yesterday's testimony to the PAC which I would like to clear up immediately. | Thompson, who is due to give evidence to the Commons public accounts select committee in the autumn, said: "I am looking forward to laying the facts in front of the public accounts committee in person, but there are a couple of inaccuracies that emerged in yesterday's testimony to the PAC which I would like to clear up immediately. |
| "First, the BBC Trust was fully informed in advance, in writing as well as orally, about the proposed severance packages for Mark Byford and [fellow outgoing BBC executive] Sharon Baylay. | "First, the BBC Trust was fully informed in advance, in writing as well as orally, about the proposed severance packages for Mark Byford and [fellow outgoing BBC executive] Sharon Baylay. |
| "Specifically, they were told that it was proposed that in both cases formal notice would not be served immediately but in the following year. An email from my office to the head of the trust unit makes this clear. | "Specifically, they were told that it was proposed that in both cases formal notice would not be served immediately but in the following year. An email from my office to the head of the trust unit makes this clear. |
| "Both this email and a detailed analysis of the value for money case for the redundancies were sent to the trust days before the executive board remuneration committee met to consider the proposed packages. | "Both this email and a detailed analysis of the value for money case for the redundancies were sent to the trust days before the executive board remuneration committee met to consider the proposed packages. |
| "I had made sure that the trust were aware of and understood all potentially contentious issues (including the fact that formal notice would not be served at once). The trust had every opportunity to express any concerns about the proposals before they were approved and indeed the final version of the cases included input from the trust. | "I had made sure that the trust were aware of and understood all potentially contentious issues (including the fact that formal notice would not be served at once). The trust had every opportunity to express any concerns about the proposals before they were approved and indeed the final version of the cases included input from the trust. |
| "Second, contrary to what was suggested in yesterday's testimony, I was not involved in the negotiation or approval of the severance package which was given to Roly Keating. If I had been consulted, I would not have approved it." | "Second, contrary to what was suggested in yesterday's testimony, I was not involved in the negotiation or approval of the severance package which was given to Roly Keating. If I had been consulted, I would not have approved it." |
| Patten told the public accounts committee on Wednesday that it was only after a report by the public spending watchdog, published last week, that he was aware of the full details of the payouts made to Byford and other senior BBC executives. | Patten told the public accounts committee on Wednesday that it was only after a report by the public spending watchdog, published last week, that he was aware of the full details of the payouts made to Byford and other senior BBC executives. |
| BBC trustee Anthony Fry told MPs there was a "disconnect" between what Thompson had said in a memo to the trust about Byford's departure in 2010 and what the National Audit Office revealed. | BBC trustee Anthony Fry told MPs there was a "disconnect" between what Thompson had said in a memo to the trust about Byford's departure in 2010 and what the National Audit Office revealed. |
| Fry suggested to MPs that they ask Thompson about the payout when he appears before the committee. | Fry suggested to MPs that they ask Thompson about the payout when he appears before the committee. |
| "If you are asking me, was I expecting, when people like Mr Byford and others left the BBC, the scale of the payments they would receive would cause considerable public comment? Absolutely," said Fry. "Did I expect to find that in addition to what were already huge payments, that additional payments were made? No I didn't." | "If you are asking me, was I expecting, when people like Mr Byford and others left the BBC, the scale of the payments they would receive would cause considerable public comment? Absolutely," said Fry. "Did I expect to find that in addition to what were already huge payments, that additional payments were made? No I didn't." |
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