MPs' anger as minister rules out Savile inquiry: Culture Secretary's gaffe turns up heat over Newsnight probe

Culture Secretary Maria Miller was under fire yesterday as she ruled out a full independent inquiry into the Jimmy Savile scandal.
Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman said the issue had 'cast a stain' on the BBC, and MPs on all sides voiced dismay at the corporation's handling of the affair.
Miss Harman said Savile's 'exalted' status within the corporation had allowed him to act with impunity.
Tory MP Rob Wilson complained the BBC had still not adequately explained why it dropped a Newsnight report into Savile's crimes last December.
In an emergency statement to the Commons, Mrs Miller replied: 'The BBC has launched three separate investigations. The first will look particularly at the allegations with regard to the item on Savile which was inappropriately pulled from Newsnight.'
Her aides later insisted she had 'misspoken' and had meant to say 'allegations' that the report was pulled inappropriately.
But Mrs Miller's intervention will add to the sense of crisis at the BBC over its handling of the scandal.
BBC director general George Entwistle will be grilled by MPs next week over the decision to not air the Newsnight investigation into Saville and also about how much was known at senior levels about the allegations.
He will also face questions on whether wider concerns about a culture of sexual harassment at the BBC have been tackled.

 

In an email to staff last night, BBC director of news Helen Boaden said the corporation was confident the investigation had been dropped for 'sound editorial reasons', but acknowledged that 'people have continued to speculate'.
She added: 'This is a tough time for the organisation as a whole and for some individuals in particular. A lot of soul-searching is naturally taking place.'

Maria Miller, left, said the corporation was treating allegations 'very seriously' while Harriet Harman, right, said the claims had 'cast a stain on the BBC'

Labour leader Ed Miliband called on Mrs Miller to launch an independent inquiry into the corporation's conduct.
He said: 'I don't think the BBC can lead their own inquiry... I think we need a broader look at these public institutions – the BBC, I'm afraid some parts of the NHS, potentially, Broadmoor.

BBC Director General George Entwistle has offered to appear before a select committee

'I'm open-minded about how it's done but it's got to be independent.'
Mr Miliband also signalled he would support 'brave' victims in their fight to get compensation.
Tory MP Anne Main said Mrs Miller should ask Lord Justice Leveson to extend his inquiry into press standards to investigate the BBC's handling of the Savile scandal.
She said she was not confident the BBC had the 'wherewithal to clean out its own Augean stables'.
But Mrs Miller said she was confident the BBC was taking the allegations 'very seriously'.
Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine said Savile will become known as 'one of the most serious predatory paedophiles in criminal history'.
Speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, Mr Vine said: 'The fact that a person was using his BBC prestige and maybe even BBC dressing rooms to attack young children, I find disgusting.'
Police are pursuing 340 leads and believe twisted Savile claimed more than 60 victims in a reign of child abuse that lasted until he was at least 79.
* Andrew Marr's drunken clinch with a young female producer was raised in Parliament as MPs debated whether the 'culture' of the BBC had really changed.

The 53-year-old broadcaster was photographed kissing and fondling the woman last month. Democratic Unionist MP Ian Paisley Jr challenged Mrs Miller in the Commons by saying: 'Are you utterly convinced the culture of the BBC has changed since the revelations of the vile actions of Jimmy Savile?
'Just a matter of weeks ago we had one of their senior talent caught in photographs in the grips of a young woman with his hand down her trousers in a public place. He gets away with it with nothing more than a shrug of the shoulders and a silly excuse.
'You know this inquiry by the police will take years and that the BBC will get away in the smoke. Surely now is the time for an independent inquiry into the BBC?'
Mrs Miller said a wider investigation into allegations of sexual harassment at the BBC was already under way, but that Mr Paisley was right to call for it to consider recent allegations.

MILIBAND CALLS FOR INDEPENDENT INQUIRY INTO SAVILE SEX ABUSE

Labour called tonight for the Government to set up an independent inquiry into the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal to 'do right by the victims'.

Culture Secretary Maria Miller earlier dismissed demands for an independent inquiry, saying she was 'confident' BBC chiefs were taking the claims 'very seriously'.

But Labour leader Ed Miliband said the BBC's internal investigations were not enough.
Speaking to ITV1's The Agenda, he said: 'These are horrific allegations. In order to do right by the victims I don't think the BBC can lead their own inquiry.

'We need a broad look at all the public institutions involved - the BBC, parts of the NHS and Broadmoor. This has got to be independent.'

Labour wants an independent inquiry to have the power to demand documentation and witnesses. It should look into Savile's activities at the BBC, Stoke Mandeville hospital and Broadmoor, the party said.

'I think we now have enough set of allegations and further allegations to know this is not some isolated set of incidents,' Mr Miliband said.

'This seems to be a pattern of activity which spanned a number of institutions. As I say, I just think about the victims in this. This is absolutely horrific and will scar people for life. And I think for them, the BBC - good institution though it is - I don't think they can lead their own inquiry.'
Responding to Ed Miliband's call for an independent inquiry, a government spokesman said last night: 'Nothing has been ruled out, however, it would be incredibly premature to pre-judge the outcome of the BBC inquiries and the police investigation.'

Savile at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in 2003, where it is claimed he abused patients