§ Mr. SwinneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if he will list the(a) location of, (b) running costs of, (c) salary costs of and (d) number of staff based at the head office of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission; what percentage of total staff are based (i) at head office, (ii) in London and (iii) in Scotland; and what percentage of salary and running costs are incurred in (1) London and (2) Scotland; [36123]
(2) if he will make a statement on the responsibilities of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission in Scotland. [36122]
§ Mr. Fisher[holding answer 25 March 1998]The former Broadcasting Standards Council and Broadcasting Complaints Commission were succeeded on 1 April 1997 by the Broadcasting Standards Commission. It has UK-wide jurisdiction to act as a forum for public concern on standards of taste, decency and fairness on television and radio. It considers and reaches findings on complaints received from the public, monitors programmes, commissions research, and draws up and maintains codes of practice on fairness and standards of taste and decency.
It receives grant-in-aid of £1.971m, of which salary costs for the current financial year are expected to total £621,000. All its 25 staff are employed at its London headquarters.