The BBC is going through more than one investigations after being accused of “silencing” gender discrimination and harassment victims through its use of non-disclosure agreements, The Goal can show cloak.
Tony Hall, the director total, would possibly be puzzled on the ache by the influential Culture Media and Sport Pick out Committee subsequent week, while the Females and Equalities Pick out Committee would additionally now debate the ache, its chair Maria Miller acknowledged.
Dozens of inferior-celebration MPs have additionally written to the Nationwide Audit Office (NAO) traumatic it too originate a formal inquiry.
The broadcaster stopped using so-called “gagging” clauses in 2013 within the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal. Nonetheless there are fears the BBC is using public money to fund court docket confidential settlements, is on occasion called non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), in picture to withhold allegations secret.
In a joint letter signed by 30 MPs including senior Conservative Nicky Morgan, the outdated Schooling Secretary, and parliamentarians from Labour, the SNP and the Liberal Democrats, they instructed the BBC’s use of the pretty paperwork used to be “silencing the voices of victims”.
The letter acknowledged: “In our leer the utilization of public money – serene from our constituents during the license payment – to behavior pretty court docket cases which repay and silence victims at the same time as maintaining up wrongdoing would be wholly unacceptable and we feel that this subject can even tranquil be investigated as a subject of urgency.”
Final night time, the BBC confirmed that it continues to use settlement agreements that encompass confidentiality clauses to cease staff talking out, but refused to affirm what number of were issued in most contemporary years and acknowledged their use used to be “restricted”.
Tory MP Damian Collins, chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Pick out Committee, informed The Goal “the ache used to be seemingly to be raised” on Wednesday, while Ms Miller, a outdated Conservative custom secretary, acknowledged the utilization of NDAs used to be a area “we can even tranquil all be afflicted about”.
“Across the board non-disclosure agreements are being former to silence other folks and cease them talking about their experiences within organisations,” she acknowledged.
“There is a real ache that these agreements are being former to hide illegal actions.”
She instructed the organisation would possibly be compelled to publish what number of NDAs they’d entered into, and criticised the BBC for refusing to show cloak to The Goal what number of settlement agreements it has utilised in most contemporary years.
She added: “I center of attention on it’s unacceptable that an organisation admire the BBC would refuse to acknowledge or have public what number of settlement agreements they’ve entered into. With out that transparency it’s now not ability to perceive the scale on which they’re being former.”
It comes after Downing Highway announced Theresa May well would explore on the wider use of NDAs following the scandal over the Presidents Club dinner, at which a bunch of ladies folks order they were sexually confused. Just a few the victims had been made to signal NDAs when it comes to the tournament.
Talking to The Goal, two outdated Conservative custom secretaries additionally raised concerns over the BBC’s skill.
John Whittingdale, a Conservative outdated Culture Secretary, acknowledged the BBC can even tranquil now not be using public money to silence victims.
“I’m very dejected with the root of the BBC enforcing non-disclosure agreements, specifically since I used to be the one who pushed for transparency over high salaries on the BBC”, he acknowledged.
“Any money paid out by the BBC is within the slay public money and I’m now not glad the least bit with the root the final public aren’t being informed how their money is being spent.
“If it falls within the remit of the Nationwide Audit Office, I’m sympathetic to the suggestion they will also tranquil look at.”
Mr Whittingdale additionally acknowledged it used to be pretty for the DCMS Pick out Committee to explore on the ache. “If I used to be running the grab committee right here is one thing I’d be intently,” he acknowledged.
Labour’s David Lammy MP, a outdated custom minister who is co-ordinating the letter from MPs, acknowledged: “I used to be afraid to learn Carrie Gracie’s resignation letter and it’s wholly unacceptable for taxpayers’ money to be spent on these pretty court docket cases, out of court docket settlements and agreements and there is a important public interest in getting to the bottom of this ache.
“I terror that the frequent use of non-disclosure agreements in silencing accusers device that institutions can cling far from going through up to wider, systemic concerns at play right here that can even tranquil be tackled in a clear and begin device.”
The BBC acknowledged it had now not former a settlement settlement when it comes to an equal pay ache for two years but confirmed the agreements are tranquil former when it comes to varied disputes.
The BBC’s outdated China Editor criticised the utilization of non-disclosure agreements when she resigned from the role over pay inequality earlier this month.
In her resignation letter to BBC executives, Carrie Gracie, who is additionally displaying earlier than the committee on Wednesday, wrote: “Talking out carries the possibility of disciplinary measures and even dismissal; litigation can execute careers and be financially ruinous. The BBC in most cases settles circumstances out of court docket and demands non-disclosure agreements.”
The Goal understands that outdated BBC staff who have signed NDAs judge they are fully allowed to discuss their skills if compelled to make so in court docket or when protected by parliamentary privilege, akin to for the length of a grab committee look.
A BBC spokesman acknowledged: “The BBC hasn’t settled an equal pay claim raised by an worker with a settlement settlement for over two years. For the explanation that pay disclosures final twelve months, it’s been broadly reported that moderately a ramification of ladies folks have advance forward elevating queries about their pay. We have got resolved moderately a ramification of these, none of which has eager requiring confidentiality.
“The BBC additionally has sure processes so staff can elevate any concerns about bullying, harassment and unfair treatment, and whistleblowers are protected by regulation even though they’ve entered into a settlement settlement.”
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