BBC Expenses And Retirement Of Graham Leach

EDM number 391 in 1994-95, proposed by Michael Fabricant on 17/01/1995.

That this House notes that further to EDM 203 tabled in December and subsequent questions regarding the above in the House, no response has been forthcoming from the BBC; that while reasonable and 'flexible and creative' expenses claims are not unusual for the industry and reflect the difficult conditions in which many journalists have to work both at home and aborad, this House is concerned that persistent stories regarding expense claims of over six figures from the BBC, and consequently the licence payer, from one journalist including claims for (i) the cost of air freighting grand pianos from South Africa to Europe, (ii) the purchase of a lawnmower for a fifth floor apartment, (iii) the apparent acquisition of fax paper documented on a Harrods invoice for over ú500, (iv) the provision of office furniture which subsequently could not be found in a BBC audit and (v) the expense of paying for the education of his children at private schools even when the journalist was based back in Britain are, if true in whole or in part, an unacceptable burden on the licence payer and reflect badly on the financial controls and auditing procedures within the BBC; and that this House still seeks urgent reassurance as to the reasons for the recent resignation of the BBC journalist, Graham Leach. (Relevant registered interest declared.)

This motion has been signed by a total of 1 MPs.