BBC REFUSAL TO RELEASE DEBATE DEAL PAPERS

BBC REFUSAL TO RELEASE DEBATE DEAL PAPERS

SNP APPEAL TO INFORMATION COMMISSIONER

The SNP is to appeal a Freedom of Information (FoI) decision by the BBC in
which they refused to put any information on their negotiations with
Labour, Tory and Lib Dems over the TV debates before the people of
Scotland.

The extensive negotiations between the three parties and the BBC, without
discussion with the SNP, are unprecedented and put the BBC in potential
breach of requirements to treat all parties equally.

The BBC’s editorial guidelines on political coverage during elections
clearly state: “We should make, and be able to defend, our editorial
decisions on the basis that they are reasonable and carefully and
impartially reached.”

The SNP’s FoI request seeks to establish whether the initial agreement to
host debates which excluded the Scottish or Welsh electorate was reached
impartially and to ensure that no parties had any undue influence on
participants or the nature of the programme.

The SNP has asked the UK Information Commission to look at the case with
all possible urgency.

SNP MP and Westminster Campaign Co-odinator Stewart Hosie who lodged the
request said:

"Not content with cutting Scottish viewers out of the election the BBC are
now refusing to justify themselves to the fee paying public.

"The BBC and the three London parties have carved out a deal for
themselves that leaves Scotland's viewers and voters short-changed. It is
no wonder the public are raging with the BBC over the way they use the
licence fee.

“The SNP has today lodged an appeal to the Information Commissioner and a
second Freedom of Information request to the BBC to cover the last few
months of negotiations.

“The BBC must be able to demonstrate that the decisions reached on this
debate have been reasonable, carefully and impartially reached.

"We understand that each of the three parties refused to allow Scotland's
Governing party into the debate. If that is the case the BBC has serious
questions to answer.

“The use of an exemption to cover journalism is utterly ridiculous as even
their own journalists admit the programmes are strictly controlled by an
agreement with the parties and that they have no role other than to
moderate the debate.

"Even more ludicrous is the defence that the BBC is preserving freedom of
expression while it is silencing the views of Scotland.

“The BBC guidelines say they must be able to defend their decisions openly
and transparently, that is clearly not the case or there would be nothing
to hide.”