Should BBC stars’ salaries be public?

The BBC spent £3.8m less on top talent in 2010/11, according to its accounts.

It paid around £22m to 19 stars who all earned above £500,000 a year. In 2009/10 it paid almost £26m to 21 people in the same bracket.

The report ranks talent by pay bands but groups everyone earning from £500,000 up to £5m together.

This prevents identification of high-earning individuals, which the BBC says is needed for legal and commercial reasons.

Top BBC talent like Graham Norton, Gary Lineker, Jeremy Paxman and Chris Evans are reported to be among the higher paid earners.

BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten said the corporation was not “hiding” anything and there was “no fundamental human right” for the public to know about a celebrity’s pay packet.

The figures show the BBC also increased the numbers of talent earning between £250,000 and £499,999 from 26 to 33.

The number of people earning between £100,000 and £149,999 rose from 129 to 142.

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But the total bill for talent came in at £212m, down from £221m in 2009/10.

Lord Patten said there was a difference between “public accountability and prurience” and argued that further disclosure might drive people to work for independents, which do not have to publish pay, rather than work directly for the BBC.

He said: “If we were to insist on infringing the data protection legislation, I imagine more people would choose to be employed by independent producers, which would hardly produce the effect people want.”

The report also showed a cut in pay for senior managers.

Director-General Mark Thompson said the report showed a “strong year” for the BBC.

He said: “Over the last year the BBC has continued to deliver outstanding quality programmes and content to all audiences. The BBC strives to bring the best to everyone, regardless of their means.”