Making well informed, fair and transparent decisions

The Trust sets the strategic direction through four strategic objectives for the BBC and issues a service licence to every BBC service, stating what we expect it to deliver and how much it can spend. We uphold the BBC’s editorial standards and protect the BBC’s independence. The Trust is separate from the Executive, which is led by the Director-General and manages the operational delivery of the BBC’s services.

The functions and duties of the Trust are outlined in the BBC’s Royal Charter and the BBC’s Agreement with the Secretary of State. The Trust operates in accordance with published protocols and the way we make decisions is governed by our standing orders. As Trustees, we commit to acting in accordance with our Code of Practice.

Our regular business is undertaken in monthly meetings of
the Trust and its sub-committees. At these meetings we make decisions relating to our duties and responsibilities and consider proposals from the Executive Board.

We publish the minutes of our monthly Trust meetings on our website. We also publish the evidence and research on which our decisions are based, the findings of all editorial appeal decisions, the outcomes of value for money and service licence reviews.

Rotha Johnston’s and Mehmuda Mian’s terms ended on 31 October 2012. Sonita Alleyne’s and Aideen McGinley’s terms began on 1 November 2012.

The trustees reflect the membership of the Trust at 20 June 2013. There were no vacancies at this time.

Trustee's attendance at Trust meetings  (1 April 2013-31 March 2014)
Chairman Lord Patten	19/19
Vice Chairman Diane Coyle	19/19
National Trustees
Alison Hastings	18/19
Bill Matthews	18/19
Aideen McGinley	19/19
Elan Closs Stephens	18/19
Trustees
Sonita Alleyne	17/19
Richard Ayre	19/19
Anthony Fry	8/10
David Liddiment	19/19
Nick Prettejohn	6/6
Suzanna Taverne	18/19
Lord Williams	16/19

Trustees' attendance at Audience Council meetings  (1 April 2013-31 March 2014)
Alison Hastings	7/7
Bill Matthews	8/9
Aiden McGinley	9/9
Elan Closs Stephens	9/9

Every year we review the way the Trust and its committees have worked and publish the results in the annual report. This is a commitment we set ourselves in the Trust’s standing orders.

The events of the past year – revelations about sexual abuse by Jimmy Savile, the departure of a newly-appointed Director-General, and wholesale changes in senior management – put strains on the Trust, as they did on the entire BBC, and we have needed to learn lessons. 

We recognise the need to clarify, both internally and externally, the distinct roles of the Trust and the Executive as they are laid down in the Charter; to ensure better communication between the two, especially at times of crisis; and to be transparent about the measures we take on behalf of licence fee payers to hold the Executive to account for its management of the BBC.

We continued our full programme of strategic and regulatory work, including service and impartiality reviews, scrutinising the BBC’s budget proposals, assessing the case for new investments and major projects, and listening to audiences across the UK, despite the Savile affair having dominated the final months of 2012.

We are supported in our work by the Trust Unit, which provides independent and objective advice, calling on outside experts when necessary.

The Unit is made up of BBC staff who are independent of the Executive and report directly to us. It includes professional staff with expertise across a range of disciplines, including corporate governance, policy development, audience research, financial and performance analysis, economics and law.

The Trust Unit advises Trustees on their duties, manages the Trust’s supervisory and regulatory functions, and provides the Trust with independent assessments of proposals from the Executive Board. Most Unit staff are based in London; others are based in offices in Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow.

Our Code of Practice requires us to maintain and publish a register of all external interests that might be seen to affect our ability to perform our duties as BBC Trustees. This register includes declarations of all positions of employment, directorships and voluntary positions as well as interests of close family members, if relevant. The Trust’s register of interests is published on our website.

Fees

Our fees as Trustees are determined by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. In September 2010, Trustees took a voluntary 8.3% pay cut (equivalent to a month’s salary), in parallel with the Director-General and other Executive Board members. The reduced fees for Trustees will remain in effect until 31 August 2014 and are reflected in the table below. The one exception to this is the Chairman, where the level of fees was reduced by 23% when the post was last advertised and, therefore, a further discount has not been applied. Trustees do not receive severance pay or other compensation for loss of office.

Trustees are paid for a part-time role at the BBC Trust. The Chairman is expected to spend 3-4 days a week on Trust business, and the Vice Chairman about 2.5 days. Other Trustees are expected to work for about 2 days a week. Trustees work longer as needed.

Expenses

We are reimbursed for expenses incurred on BBC business, which include travel, accommodation, work-related meals and hospitality. Trustee expenses are governed by the Trust’s Code of Practice, which is published on our website. Every six months we publish a full list of all expenses incurred by each Trustee, as well as the services booked centrally for Trustees by the Trust Unit.

Some of our expenses and support services are classed as taxable benefits by HRMC, and this figure is published in the remuneration table; any tax arising on expenses incurred is settled by the BBC.

Chairman's benefits

During his time as Chairman, Lord Patten was not eligible to receive any benefits other than his fee, and he elected not to make use of a BBC driver.

Trustees' Remuneration

	Fees £000 [1]	Taxable benefits £000	Total 2013/14 £000	Total 2012/13 £000	Appoint' term start date	Appoint' term end date
Chairman & Vice Chairman
Lord Patten	110	1	111	111	11 May 11	30 Apr 15
Diane Coyle*	71	-	71	71	1 Nov 06	30 Apr 15
National Trustees
Alison Hastings	38	-	38	38	1 Nov 06	31 Oct 14
Rotha Johnston [2]	-	-	-	22	1 Nov 06	31 Oct 12
Bill Matthews* [3]	38	-	38	38	1 Jan 11	31 Dec 14
Aideen McGinley (Northern Ireland) [4]	38	-	38	16	1 Nov 12	31 Oct 16
Elan Closs Stephens (Wales)	38	-	38	38	1 Nov 10	31 Oct 14
Trustees
Sonita Alleyne [4]	33	-	33	14	1 Nov 12	31 Oct 16
Richard Ayre	33	-	33	33	1 Aug 10	31 Jul 14
Anthony Fry [5]	19	-	19	33	1 Nov 08	31 Oct 15
David Liddiment	33	-	33	33	1 Nov 06	31 Oct 14
Mehmuda Mian [2]	-	-	-	19	1 Nov 06	31 Oct 12
Nick Prettejohn [6]	8		8		1 Jan 14	31 Dec 17
Suzanna Taverne	33	-	33	33	1 Jan 12	31 Dec 15
Lord Williams*	33	-	33	33	1 Dec 11	30 Nov 15
Total	525	1	526	532

Notes

[1] Trustees took an 8.3% voluntary reduction in pay, in parallel with the Director-General and Executive Board, in September 2010. The Chairman’s fee was reduced by 23% from £142,800 to £110,000 at the start of Lord Patten’s term. Full details are available on our website.

[2] Rotha Johnston and Mehmuda Mian ended their appointments part-way through the financial year 2012/13; accordingly their fees only relate to their time in office and do not cover the full year.

[3] Bill Matthews is the Chairman of the Board of the BBC Pension Trust Ltd, the corporate trustee of the BBC Pension Scheme. He is separately remunerated for this role. Further details are available in the BBC Pension Scheme Annual Report and Accounts.

[4] Aideen McGinley and Sonita Alleyne began their appointments part way through the financial year 2012/13; accordingly, their fees only relate to their time in office and do not cover the full year.

[5] Anthony Fry stepped down on 30 October 2013; accordingly his fees only relate to his time in office and do not cover the full year.

[6] Nick Prettejohn began his appointment during the financial year 2013/14; accordingly his fees for 2013/14 only relate to his time in office and do not cover the full year.

* These Trustees all had taxable benefits less than £500 which have been rounded to nil. The total amount incurred by Trustees was £1,276.85.

We do much of our work through committees, which can make certain decisions on behalf of the Trust as a whole. The members of each committee and their attendance during 2012/13 are set out below. The terms of reference for each committee are on our website.

Audience Councils Committee

Chair: Diane Coyle

The Audience Councils Committee (ACC) brought together the Vice Chairman and the four National Trustees to oversee and co-ordinate the contributions of the BBC’s Audience Councils as advisory bodies to the Trust. Its role was to ensure that issues identified by the Audience Councils were dealt with appropriately by the Trust and that the Councils worked within their remits. The ACC also approved membership of the Audience Councils. In April 2014, the ACC’s functions were incorporated into those of the full Trust..

Meeting attendance (1 April 2013- 31 March 2014)
Diane Coyle (Chair)	2/2
Alison Hastings	2/2
Bill Matthews	2/2
Aideen McGinley	2/2
Elan Cross Stephens	2/2

Committee membership changes: there were no changes during this period. 

Audiences and Performance Committee

Chair: David Liddiment

The Audiences and Performance Committee (APC) was responsible for developing the strategy for, and assessing the performance of, the BBC’s UK public services on behalf of the Trust. It monitored how the BBC delivers its public purposes. The APC assessed the performance of the BBC’s services against their service licences, including overseeing the Trust’s programme of service reviews. The APC was also responsible for the Trust’s programme of audience research and public consultation. In April 2014, the APC’s functions were incorporated into those of the Services Committee and the full Trust.  

Meeting attendance (1 April 2013- 31 March 2014)
David Liddiment (Chair)	10/10
Sonita Alleyne	8/10
Alison Hastings	10/10
Aideen McGinley	9/10
Suzanna Taverne	10/10

Committee membership changes: there were no changes during this period. 

Complaints and Appeals Board

Chair: Richard Ayre

The Complaints and Appeals Board (CAB) deals with appeals and complaints to the BBC about everything except programme-making and content. There are two CAB standing members who are supplemented by one or more additional Trustees as needed. In 2013/14, of the 239 TV Licensing, fair trading and general appeals received, seven were heard in full by the CAB (four were upheld and three were not). Overall 96% of complaints were dealt with in the target time (40 working days for admissibility decisions and 80 working days for CAB findings and decisions). The CAB is responsible for reviewing the effectiveness of the BBC’s complaints framework, which was relaunched in 2012/13. The CAB commissioned a ‘mystery shopping’ exercise to test the way complaints were being handled at Stage 1 of the BBC’s complaints procedure. Testing took place during the summer of 2013 with the results published in February 2014. The role and responsibilities of the CAB remain unchanged in the new committee structure.

Meeting attendance (1 April 2013- 31 March 2014)
Richard Ayre (Chair)	13/14
Elan Closs Stephens (standing member)	14/14
Sonita Alleyne	1/1
Diane Coyle	3/3
Alison Hastings	2/2
David Liddiment	0/1
Bill Matthews	1/1
Aideen McGinley	2/2
Nick Prettejohn	1/1
Suzanna Taverne	2/3
Lord Williams	1/1

Committee membership changes:there were no changes during this period.

Editorial Standards Committee

Chair: Alison Hastings

The Editorial Standards Committee (ESC) is responsible, on behalf of the Trust, for establishing the BBC’s editorial standards and overseeing the BBC’s services for compliance with these standards. Editorial standards are enshrined in the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines, which are approved by the Trust. The ESC is the final appeal body within the BBC in determining whether the Editorial Guidelines have been followed, and the final arbiter of complaints on appeal to the Trust. The ESC also manages the Trust’s programme of impartiality reviews and seminars. The role and responsibilities of the ESC remain unchanged in the new committee structure.

Meeting attendance (1 April 2013- 31 March 2014)
Alison Hastings (Chair)	15/15
Sonita Alleyne	14/15
Richard Ayre	15/15
David Liddiment	13/15
Bill Matthews	12/13

Committee membership changes: there were no changes during this period. 

International Services Committee

Chair: Lord Williams

The International Services Committee (ISC) was responsible for helping the Trust to develop the strategy for, and assess the performance of the BBC World Service, BBC World News, bbc.co.uk/news and BBC Monitoring. In April 2014, the ISC’s functions were incorporated into those of the Services Committee and the full Trust.

Meeting attendance (1 April 2013- 31 March 2014)
Lord Williams (Chair)	3/3
Diane Coyle	3/3
Richard Ayre	3/3
Aideen McGinley	3/3
Elan Closs Stephens	3/3

Committee membership changes: there were no changes during this period.

Remuneration and Appointments Committee

Chair: Lord Patten

The Remuneration and Appointments Committee (RAC) managed the Trust’s responsibilities concerning Executive Board remuneration and appointments. The RAC oversaw executive remuneration strategy and made recommendations to the Trust on the pay and benefits of the Director-General and the non-executive directors of the Executive Board. However, pay and benefits of the executive directors are determined by the Executive Board’s Remuneration Committee, which consists entirely of non-executive directors. In April 2014, the RAC’s functions were incorporated into those of the full Trust and the Trust Management Group.

Meeting attendance (1 April 2013- 31 March 2014)
Lord Patten (Chair)	1/1
Diane Coyle	1/1
Anthony Fry	1/1
David Liddiment	0/1
Nick Prettejohn	0/0*

Committee membership changes: Anthony Fry (until October 2013); Nick Prettejohn (from February 2014).

*There were no meetings during Nick Prettejohn's membership period.

Strategy and Approvals Committee

Chair: Diane Coyle

The Strategy and Approvals Committee (SAC) considered proposals from the Executive Board, including for new services or changes to existing services, except those proposed as part of a service review (which were considered by the APC). The SAC managed any Public Value Test or other consideration of a proposal from the Executive and made recommendations to the Trust on possible outcomes. The SAC also oversaw the BBC’s commercial strategy and individual proposals, where these were of strategic significance or of high value. In April 2014, the SAC’s functions were incorporated into those of the Services Committee and the full Trust.

Meeting attendance (1 April 2013- 31 March 2014)
Diane Coyle (Chair)	9/9
Anthony Fry	3/5
Bill Matthews	8/9
Suzanna Taverne	9/9
Lord Williams	7/9
Nick Prettejohn	2/2

Committee membership changes: Anthony Fry (until October 2013); Nick Prettejohn (from February 2014).

Trust Finance Committee

Chair: Anthony Fry (until October 2013).
Acting Chair: Diane Coyle (from November 2013 until March 2014).

The Trust Finance Committee (TFC) helped the Trust to set the financial strategy for the BBC. It examined the BBC’s annual budget and held the BBC to account for its financial performance. It scrutinised significant financial proposals, and oversaw the Executive’s internal control and risk management arrangements. The TFC also managed the Trust’s programme of value-for-money reviews, working with the Executive to ensure the BBC acts on any recommendations made. In April 2014, the TFC’s functions were incorporated into those of the Value for Money Committee and the full Trust.

Meeting attendance (1 April 2013- 31 March 2014)
Anthony Fry (Chair)	7/8
Diane Coyle (acting Chair from November 2013 until March 2014)	14/14
Richard Ayre	13/14
Nick Prettejohn	2/2
Elan Closs Stephens	13/14
Suzanna Taverne	13/14

Committee membership changes: Anthony Fry (until October 2013); Nick Prettejohn (from February 2014).