BBC Trust inquiry launched by Lords Communications Committee

• Call for Evidence

The Committee’s inquiry will consider the role of the BBC Trust. This inquiry is timely given the recent announcement of the next Chairman of the Trust, Lord Patten.  As part of its inquiry, the Committee has invited written evidence on:

• The duties that the BBC Trust is tasked with and whether the allocation of its duties is transparent & well understood;
• Whether the BBC Trust is sufficiently independent of Government and the BBC Executive;
• How effective the BBC Trust has been to date;
• How accountable the BBC Trust is to the taxpayer and to Parliament; and
• Potential improvements to the governance & regulation of the BBC.

The Committee will hear its first evidence of this new inquiry on Tuesday 15 March, when media commentators and two former BBC Trust Chairmen will appear before the Committee.

At 3.30 pm evidence will be heard from:

Mr Steve Hewlett – Broadcaster and Media Consultant
Mr Neil Midgley – Assistant Editor (Media), Daily Telegraph
Mr Ray Snoddy – Media Commentator

At 4.30 pm evidence will be heard from:

          Sir Christopher Bland - BBC Chairman 1996-2001
          Mr Gavyn Davies – BBC Chairman 2001-2004

The meetings will be held in Committee Room 2 and can be watched live at www.parliamentlive.tv.

For more information on attending committee meetings:

• Guidance on attending Parliamentary committee meetings.