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| BT's Livingston attacks 'publicity seeking' committee | BT's Livingston attacks 'publicity seeking' committee |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| BT boss and incoming trade minister Lord Livingston has criticised the public accounts committee for courting publicity, after its criticisms of BT. | |
| Committee chair Margaret Hodge has accused the company of "blackmailing the public" by demanding subsidies to build broadband in rural areas. | Committee chair Margaret Hodge has accused the company of "blackmailing the public" by demanding subsidies to build broadband in rural areas. |
| Lord Livingston said BT's programme was seen as "a real model of success". | Lord Livingston said BT's programme was seen as "a real model of success". |
| He will step down as BT chief executive in September and has joined the House of Lords as a Conservative life peer. | He will step down as BT chief executive in September and has joined the House of Lords as a Conservative life peer. |
| He has been BT chief executive for the past five years. | He has been BT chief executive for the past five years. |
| Delivering BT Group's quarterly results on Thursday, Lord Livingston said: "If you watch the public accounts committee meetings, they are clearly designed to attract publicity rather than get to the underlying truth." | Delivering BT Group's quarterly results on Thursday, Lord Livingston said: "If you watch the public accounts committee meetings, they are clearly designed to attract publicity rather than get to the underlying truth." |
| BT is investing £2.5bn to provide fibre-optic cables and has won contracts for £1.2bn in public subsidies to further extend its network to rural locations. | BT is investing £2.5bn to provide fibre-optic cables and has won contracts for £1.2bn in public subsidies to further extend its network to rural locations. |
| But the programme is running nearly two years' late. | But the programme is running nearly two years' late. |
| Lord Livingston said 90% of the UK would have fibre and, around the world, BT's programme was seen as "a real model of success". | Lord Livingston said 90% of the UK would have fibre and, around the world, BT's programme was seen as "a real model of success". |
| He added: "It is just a shame that a number of people in the UK don't want to talk up the UK." | He added: "It is just a shame that a number of people in the UK don't want to talk up the UK." |
| "What BT will do is continue to talk up the UK and point out we have some of the cheapest available fibre in the western world." | "What BT will do is continue to talk up the UK and point out we have some of the cheapest available fibre in the western world." |
| He said most government officials recognise BT's work as "a great success". | He said most government officials recognise BT's work as "a great success". |
| "In government, my remit does not cover anything to do with BT other than BT being one of the country's most significant investors and exporters." | "In government, my remit does not cover anything to do with BT other than BT being one of the country's most significant investors and exporters." |
| BT's head of strategy, Sean Williams, was summoned to give evidence to the public accounts committee last week, on the company's rural broadband programme. | BT's head of strategy, Sean Williams, was summoned to give evidence to the public accounts committee last week, on the company's rural broadband programme. |
| It was during the session that Mrs Hodge criticised BT for demanding subsidies to build a rural broadband network. | It was during the session that Mrs Hodge criticised BT for demanding subsidies to build a rural broadband network. |