Examination of witnesses (Questions 60
- 63)
THURSDAY 18 NOVEMBER 1999
MR GAVYN
DAVIES and LORD
LIPSEY
60. But the police are not any constituent,
they are trying to save money for the National Health Service,
they are trying to save money for themselves. We all want to save
public money, but the BBC are saying they do not even think they
should take part in saving public money and they then apply for
more public money to fund them to sit in their offices and say,
"It is nothing to do with us."
(Mr Davies) Mrs Golding, I think that should be investigated
through the appropriate channels, but that is not me.
61. It is just an attitude, it is complacency.
They do not have to think, it is an attitude towards things in
general, "We are entirely separate, we are in our little
world and we do not have to come into it."
(Mr Davies) If that is the attitude that is genuinely
perceived about the BBC that would have to change. To the extent
that that perception persists I think it strengthens the case
for the reform measures we have suggested.
Chairman
62. Mr Davies, I have one detailed question
I will put to you - perhaps in view of the fact we are running
out of time you can write to me—that is on one part of your
Report, particularly page 98, you say that the BBC's Worldwide
growth potential could far exceed current forecasts, whereas on
page 53 you say, the current financial targets are demanding and
it would be difficult to exceed them by any substantial amount.
Those two statements take a bit of reconciling, perhaps you could
write to us and reconcile them?
(Mr Davies) I am glad you are giving me the liberty
of writing to you on that one, Chairman.
63. Finally I would just like to ask you one
very brief question, what is the rationale for £1.99 per
month rather than £2?
(Mr Davies) Chairman, I did see your rather critical
comments on that particular piece of pricing. I think you suggested
it was intended to be somehow facetious, it was not. It is simply
the following. Most of these packages, Sky packages, ONdigital,
cable packages are priced in that fashion and we wanted the BBC
licence fee supplement to be as directly comparable to what people
were paying for Sky as possible so that they would see the comparability.
We then fell into the trap of taking a penny off.
Chairman: I do not think we will push
that one much further. Thank you, and Lord Lipsey, very much indeed
for giving us so much of your time and setting us off to such
a good start.
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