HC Deb 30 June 1965 vol 715 cc600-1
17. Sir C. Taylor

asked the Postmaster-General if he will seek power to ensure that he is informed by the Governors of the British Broadcasting Corporation of the persons they propose to appoint as Directors-General in future.

Mr. Benn

No, Sir. The Governors of the B.B.C. have been given the responsibility for appointing their own staff. This is the best arrangement.

Sir C. Taylor

Is the right hon. Gentleman considering making any representations to the governors about the replacement of the present Director-General?

Mr. Benn

No, Sir. The House has approved the arrangements under which the I.T.A. and the B.B.C. are controlled by Governors who are thought to be and who are men of great responsibility. In those circumstances, for the Minister to come in and say who should and should not be appointed by those people to be their chief executives would be constitutionally unsatisfactory.

Sir C. Taylor

Could not the Minister be informed?

Mr. Benn

The same point would arise. If the responsibility for appointing their chief executives lies with the Governors, information about the appointment could come to me only after the appointment had taken place, and it is already made public.

Mr. Hugh Jenkins

Is my right hon. Friend aware that in spite of the constant sniping from hon. Members opposite, many of us believe that the present Director-General of the B.B.C. does a good job? Is he further aware that if anything many of us think that the Director-General of the B.B.C. errs on the side of over-caution? Is my right hon. Friend further aware that, out of consideration for the excessive sensitivity of hon. Members opposite, last week the Director-General of the B.B.C. took off a play which was critical of hon. Members in the belief that it would have offended them and that the Director-General should be told that the B.B.C. is perfectly at liberty to criticise us and hon. Members opposite?

Mr. Benn

I do not think that it is for me to comment on the quality of the Director-General, but it would be wrong to assume from some of the Questions which have been tabled that the views which have been expressed about the Director-General are as widely held as might appear to be the case.