Greg Dyke calls for release of BBC governors' minutes

Greg Dyke calls for release of BBC governors' minutes

Greg Dyke called today for the release of documents explaining how governors of the BBC came to make an "abject apology" to the government over the Hutton report.

The former BBC director general told the Information Tribunal that the minutes for a key governors meeting which led to his sacking in January 2004 should be disclosed. Mr Dyke was giving evidence to the Information Tribunal in support of a freedom of information application by the Guardian and Heather Brooke, an open government campaigner, for copies of the minutes. The information commissioner ruled earlier this year that the BBC should be able to keep the minutes secret, and the matter has now gone to appeal.

The BBC originally refused to publish the minutes, arguing that governors at future meetings would be inhibited from voicing their opinions if they believed that the minutes would later be released. The BBC also argues that the governors involved in the January 2004 meeting expected their views to remain confidential. But Mr Dyke believed there was a public interest argument for publishing the minutes of the January 28 meeting.

Dyke cites public interest in BBC minutes (The Guardian, 20 December 2006)