Britannia Radio

BBC's quarter of a million pound bill to keep pay secret

By EMILY ANDREWS
Last updated at 9:44 AM on 08th June 2009

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A BBC battle to keep the salaries of Top Gear, EastEnders and Newsnight stars secret has helped clock up legal bills of almost £250,000.

The broadcaster called in highly-paid lawyers to find a loophole to avoid answering the questions under the Freedom of Information Act.

It has already spent £41,530 on barristers to keep the costs of the programmes secret and its lawyers have spent 55 days preparing cases to avoid releasing such information. 

Battle of the beeb: The BBC is fighting to keep secret the pay of its biggest stars

Despite a recent court defeat over the programme costs, the BBC refused to reveal the details, and is set to appeal to the High Court.

The BBC is subject to the Freedom of Information Act but was given a special 'get-out clause' which it has now used to avoid answering more than 1,200 questions since the law came into force in 2005. Legal experts take differing views on whether the BBC is interpreting its derogation correctly to avoid answering so many questions.

Among the information the BBC refuses to disclose is: How much it spent on accommodation for staff sent to cover the Olympics in China last year and how much it paid failed England manager-Steve McLaren to be a pundit during-Euro 2008.

It has previously been revealed that the Corporation has spent £173,458 trying to keep a sensitive report on its news coverage in the Middle East secret.

The case went to the House of Lords and has now been sent back to a lower court for a final decision.

A BBC spokesman said: 'The BBC notes that the intention behind limiting the inclusion of the BBC under the Act is to protect the independence of the media and to ensure that public service broadcasters are not disadvantaged as against commercial broadcasters.'

If the BBC loses the legal battle it is unlikely it will have to disclose details of individual salaries but it could have to reveal the cost of wages on a show.

In March the BBC announced £400million in 'painful cuts and reductions' and said it would slash stars' salaries and clamp down on expenses.