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MPs have voiced concern about a proposal to invest £50,000 in improving the video coverage of the House of Commons, following a joint request by the BBC, Sky and ITV.

The three broadcasters have jointly called for the rules governing parliamentary footage to be relaxed, allowing them to show clearer images - especially of ministers and the shadow cabinet.

The Commons administration committee is looking at the rules governing parliamentary footage and whether there is a case for making any changes to the existing agreement - and who should pay.

BBC Parliament controller Peter Knowles told the administration committee: "The ability to understand the geography of the chamber and what's going on in the debate would be improved I think if the rules of coverage were less prescriptive in terms of what can be shown. They're very detailed and more don'ts than dos.

"The camera angles in the chamber are incredibly unflattering to the frontbenchers because they're so high. You see them from the top of their foreheads. It would be a very good idea to explore other camera angles."

Knowles also suggested filming the exits from the division lobbies, where votes take place, "on a trial basis, or for educational purposes". He said: "That's a gap in understanding as to how parliament works."

Simon Mares, Westminster news editor for ITV regions said: "At the moment because of the slightly staid guidelines you don't, I feel, get a proper representation of what goes on in the chamber. I wouldn't say we're misleading viewers but we're not giving them the full picture.

"It does look a bit dated now. You suddenly take a step back in time when you come to coverage of the Commons."

He said the reason why ministers made announcements to TV cameras on the green outside parliament was because the footage of them making the same announcement in the house did not look appealing.

BSkyB political executive producer Esme Wren said Sky was keen to make footage of parliament "more accessible and more compelling and bring in a younger audience". She said more reaction shots would be helpful, although the main focus would always be the person speaking.

However, MPs on the committee voiced concern about paying for improvements to the camera layout, which are estimated at £50,000.

Thomas Docherty MP said: "You would like us to spend approaching £50,000 of taxpayers' money in order to make our frontbenchers look better. You're not offering to pay the cost of doing this.

"You've already stopped paying half the costs of running Parbul [the parliamentary broadcasting body]. We've got to find another million pounds because you guys pulled out of paying half the cost."

He later added: "I genuinely don't see where this ends. It sounds like you will come back and ask for a bit more each time to try and sex it up."

Rosie Cooper MP said: "Whilst we're dealing with austerity measures and frontline public services are being cut, if we went to any of the taxpayers and asked 'is the difference worth £50,000?' they'd say no.

"If you're not paying for it, I don't believe the taxpayer should be asked for a penny more.

But Dr Phillip Lee MP said the expense was "more than justifiable" if it engaged viewers and helped them gain a better understanding of how parliament works.

The administration committee has yet to make a decision. The last revision of the rules took place in 2003.

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Written by
Paul McNally

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