BBC should apologise quicker for errors, says Lord Patten

Trust chairman tells Lords committee he thinks complaints procedure should be 'quicker, simpler and more transparent'
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Lord Patten
Lord Patten said the BBC should apologise faster for its mistakes. Photograph: Ian West/PA

The BBC Trust chairman, Lord Patten, has told corporation executives they should apologise faster if the BBC makes mistakes.

Patten told the House of Lords communications committee he has spoken with management to ensure "the BBC apologises faster when it gets things wrong".

In the past the corporation has been criticised in some cases for not saying sorry sooner, most notably in the case of the Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross "Sachsgate" affair in 2008.

Patten also said he thought the BBC complaints procedure "can and should be improved" to make it "quicker, simpler and more transparent".

He revealed that his "rapid" review of the corporation's governance is due to be completed before the summer recess and that he wanted to use the Lords communications committee's inquiry into the BBC Trust to help him.



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