BBC RELOCATION PAYMENTS

That this House is appalled at the overpayment of relocation allowances to staff moving from London to Salford which even the BBC Trust has admitted was unacceptable; notes that some staff were paid up to £150,000 to move and that in all £24 million was paid to 894 people; further notes that the corporation cannot explain the reasons in some of the 91 cases in which it paid staff more than they were entitled under official policy; points out the ridiculous situation that the Director of BBC North Peter Salmon has not relocated from Twickenham; refers back to the massive severance payment to the former director-general; and calls on the new director-general to live up to his commitment to rigorously pare the culture of perks and payments endemic in the BBC, which are funded from the public purse.