Intrigued by Andrew Miller having apparently complained about the BBC's giving airtime to sceptics I wrote to the Science and Technology Committee yesterday to find out if this was an official letter from the committee or Miller operating as an individual MP. The reply, from committee secretary Stephen McGinness, was as follows:
There was no letter written from the Chair, or the Committee, about sceptics being given airtime.
A letter was written to the BBC subsequent to their appearance before the Committee seeking clarification on several points. It was nothing but a list of questions similar to those things we put in Committee session.
I gather that the article is based on our publication of the letter we received in response and, I presume, commentary from the Chair about that letter.
You can see the letter on the website, published as part of our evidence. We have not published the letter to the BBC but you will easily deduce the questions from the headings.
I would like to reiterate that the Chair has not, as published on your blog or implied by the article, written to complain about sceptics being given airtime. He has sought further information from the BBC on their coverage of climate and commented on the response. The criticism he has made of the Andrew Neill show was not about the content of the questions but the manner in which they were made.
In the meantime, Biased BBC has managed to lay its hands on the BBC letter to Andrew Miller that is referred to. The whole BBBC post is worth a look, but from my perspective, I really think we need to see Miller's letter.
I'll ask the committee if they will publish it.
Bishop Hill