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| BBC's Thompson defends expenses | BBC's Thompson defends expenses |
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| BBC director general Mark Thompson has said £350,000 in expenses claims paid out to the corporation's top executives was "reasonable and justified". | BBC director general Mark Thompson has said £350,000 in expenses claims paid out to the corporation's top executives was "reasonable and justified". |
| The claims included luxury hotels, vintage champagne, parties and a private aeroplane. | The claims included luxury hotels, vintage champagne, parties and a private aeroplane. |
| Mr Thompson also said he believed it was right to publish the salaries of executives, but not of BBC talent. | Mr Thompson also said he believed it was right to publish the salaries of executives, but not of BBC talent. |
| The Conservatives say the BBC should publish details of all salaries on the grounds of "transparency". | The Conservatives say the BBC should publish details of all salaries on the grounds of "transparency". |
| Speaking after a freedom of information request led to the BBC revealing details of its bosses' expenses, Mr Thompson insisted "every one" of the claims was "reasonable and justified". | Speaking after a freedom of information request led to the BBC revealing details of its bosses' expenses, Mr Thompson insisted "every one" of the claims was "reasonable and justified". |
| He told the BBC: "I don't believe that I've yet seen any evidence that a single one of these line-by-line expenses has been in any way unjustified." | He told the BBC: "I don't believe that I've yet seen any evidence that a single one of these line-by-line expenses has been in any way unjustified." |
| FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme | FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme |
| Mr Thompson also defended the £2,236.90 of public money he claimed to fly his family back from a holiday in Italy, when he returned to deal with the Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross radio scandal. | Mr Thompson also defended the £2,236.90 of public money he claimed to fly his family back from a holiday in Italy, when he returned to deal with the Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross radio scandal. |
| "I took the car, drove 150 miles to the airport, abandoning my family without a car in a hotel in Sicily. I think, rather understandably, they felt that, given the circumstances, they should come back too," he said. | "I took the car, drove 150 miles to the airport, abandoning my family without a car in a hotel in Sicily. I think, rather understandably, they felt that, given the circumstances, they should come back too," he said. |
| The BBC boss was adamant that the pay of top talent - amounting to about 2% of the licence fee - should not be made public, because of the risk of a "talent drain". | |
| Mr Thompson said: "Our belief is, a public officer of the BBC, someone like me, making decisions about public money, it's absolutely appropriate that people should see exactly what I spend. | Mr Thompson said: "Our belief is, a public officer of the BBC, someone like me, making decisions about public money, it's absolutely appropriate that people should see exactly what I spend. |
| They [the BBC] all think that they can have the best of both worlds David Elstein | They [the BBC] all think that they can have the best of both worlds David Elstein |
| "[But] we worry that if it turns out that if you work for the BBC you get your pay disclosed, but if you work for ITV you don't, there will be a talent drain." | "[But] we worry that if it turns out that if you work for the BBC you get your pay disclosed, but if you work for ITV you don't, there will be a talent drain." |
| But Ed Vaizey, Conservative culture spokesman, said the BBC needed to be more accountable. | But Ed Vaizey, Conservative culture spokesman, said the BBC needed to be more accountable. |
| He said: "I don't accept Mark's argument that if you publish what the BBC pays its talent you will push up the price of that talent," he said. | He said: "I don't accept Mark's argument that if you publish what the BBC pays its talent you will push up the price of that talent," he said. |
| "I think the BBC is a profoundly unaccountable organisation that is funded entirely by public money. There are profound public policy points here. | "I think the BBC is a profoundly unaccountable organisation that is funded entirely by public money. There are profound public policy points here. |
| "I don't think the BBC should worry the public will suddenly turn on them, but we are entering this age of transparency." | "I don't think the BBC should worry the public will suddenly turn on them, but we are entering this age of transparency." |
| On Thursday Mr Thompson pledged that "public expectations about openness" meant that the BBC would publish more details about its employees' pay and expenses in the future. | |
| High salaries | High salaries |
| Following the decision to reveal the expenses and salaries of the BBC's 50 top-earning managers, the corporation will now publish similar details on its top 100 executives and decision-makers every three months, starting this September. | Following the decision to reveal the expenses and salaries of the BBC's 50 top-earning managers, the corporation will now publish similar details on its top 100 executives and decision-makers every three months, starting this September. |
| Thursday's disclosures showed that 27 BBC executives earned more than the prime minister's £195,000 salary - led by Mr Thompson on £647,000 a year. | |
| David Elstein, former chief executive officer of Channel 5, told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme that it was the high salaries that were most unacceptable. | David Elstein, former chief executive officer of Channel 5, told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme that it was the high salaries that were most unacceptable. |
| "The expenses don't particularly worry me but the salaries do worry me. The BBC is part of the civil service, frankly, it doesn't need to compete with the commercial sector. | "The expenses don't particularly worry me but the salaries do worry me. The BBC is part of the civil service, frankly, it doesn't need to compete with the commercial sector. |
| "They all think that they can have the best of both worlds, the tremendous security of working in the public sector, and private sector comparisons for their salaries. It just shouldn't happen." | "They all think that they can have the best of both worlds, the tremendous security of working in the public sector, and private sector comparisons for their salaries. It just shouldn't happen." |
| He added that the high wages damaged the BBC's case for asking for a licence fee increase. |