Forty-six top BBC managers earn more than prime minister

Director-general claims 70p for a parking meter — while on a salary of £664,000

By Sam Marsden

Published:

EXPENSIVE TASTES: Mark Thompson’s claims totalled £3,364.75, including £647.50 for a night in a Las Vegas hotel

Top BBC managers claimed nearly £175,000 in expenses in three months, it was revealed yesterday.

The claims ranged from 70p for a parking meter by the corporation’s director-general, Mark Thompson, to £3,211.70 for a flight to New York by its creative director, Alan Yentob.

They included a total of £46,110 for taxis, £50,375 for flights, £30,314 for hospitality and £16,678 for hotels between April and June this year. The details emerged after the BBC published the salaries and expenses claims of its 107 most senior “decision-makers” yesterday.

Some 46 of the corporation’s managers earn more than Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s salary of £194,250, the figures showed.

The Liberal Democrats said many people would be “gobsmacked” by some of the claims and pay packets, and called for a “clampdown on excess” at the top of the BBC.

Caroline Thomson, the corporation’s chief operating officer, claimed more than £4,000 for taxis over the three-month period, charging £1,534.47 for cabs in May alone.

The executive, who earns a basic salary of £333,000 and has a total remuneration package worth £413,000, made one claim for a taxi journey costing £114.42.

A BBC spokesman said Ms Thomson needed to travel extensively as part of her role.

“In London it can be quicker to go by taxi and she can also take calls, which she would not be able to do if she travelled by Tube or bus,” he said. “Some of these are to and from her home, when she has to travel early in the morning or late at night.”

The controller of Radio 1 claimed nearly £550 for equipment for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for Comic Relief, his expenses revealed.

Andy Parfitt completed the charity ascent of the 19,300ft (5,883m) peak in March alongside celebrities including Radio 1 DJs Chris Moyles and Fearne Cotton, and singers Gary Barlow and Cheryl Cole.

Mr Parfitt, who is on a total pay package of £218,800 and lists running as one of his recreations in Who’s Who, bought £541.83-worth of “specialist clothing“ and other “essentials” for the expedition. He also claimed £26.20 for taxis to pick up and transport his equipment for climbing the mountain.

A BBC spokeswoman said: “Andy climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with Chris Moyles and Fearne Cotton (for the Comic Relief climb, which raised over £3.5million for the charity) earlier this year.

“Andy provided technical support (he is a trained radio operator) to enable Chris to broadcast from the mountain each day. The specialist clothing was essential kit, taking into account the conditions that Andy would be facing.”

BBC director-general Mr Thompson, who receives a salary of £664,000 and a total remuneration worth £834,000, claimed 70p for parking on seven separate occasions. He claimed a total of £89.73 in parking-meter charges between March and the start of May this year.

Mr Thompson’s expenses claims totalled £3,364.75, including £647.50 for a night in a Las Vegas hotel.

As well as £3,211.70 for a return flight to New York in June, Mr Yentob also claimed a total of £1,835.78 for taxis – including £674.19 in April alone, his expenses show.

Other claims include:

Nearly £30 for a bottle of spirits and almost £90 for flowers by BBC1 controller Jay Hunt, on a salary of £265,000.

More than £160 for wine and £12.48 for good-luck cards for stars of Comic Relief by Mark Linsey, controller of entertainment commissioning, on £175,000.

An away-day team dinner in February costing £750 by Tim Davie, the BBC’s director of audio and music, on £325,000.

More than £1,200 for a room and meals at the Hilton Hotel in Long Beach, California, for a conference by Roly Keating, the corporation’s director of archive content, on £250,000.

The BBC said it had “gone beyond any other public body” in organising the data.

Ms Thomson said: “Today’s launch is a direct response to the public who have indicated that they would like more information about how the BBC is run in a way which marks a step change in openness, simplicity and accountability. We are meeting the spirit as well as the letter of the law.”