BBC Savile inquiry is waste of money, claims former director-general Appearing before the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee last month, Lord Patten, the chairman of the BBC Trust, conceded that the inquiry would be "expensive." Tim Davie, the acting director general, disclosed that more than £200,000 had then been spent on legal fees, which were capped at £50,000 for any individual. But Mr Dyke said it was not "complicated" to work out that there had not been any undue interference in the Newsnight investigation. He claimed the corporation should instead have concentrated on a second inquiry, led by Dame Janet Smith, into how managers handled any material relating to Savile's sex abuse. It is thought this inquiry will cost more than the Pollard review. "Of the two reports, the Pollard Review is the one of less consequence," said Mr Dyke, who himself resigned from the BBC after the Hutton Report criticised the corporation's handling of the David Kelly affair. It has cost an awful lot of money and I don't think it is worth spending that to find out why the editor of Newsnight decided not to run the story. I employ someone, they employ a barrister to find out why the editor of Newsnight made a decision and they all have to justify their existence. It all seems a bit over the top to me. He said the inquiry was ordered out of panic. I don't think it was very complicated but I think there was a panic on. If George [Entwistle] had been there a bit longer, it is unlikely he would have set this inquiry up. Helen Boaden, the corporation's head of news, Stephen Mitchell, her deputy, and Mr Rippon "stepped aside" from their roles when the reviews were established. Mr Dyke said he was concerned "good people" would find their careers "limited" by the report. "That would be wrong," he said. From what I understand happened, I hope heads in this case don't roll. Mr Rippon defended the decision not to pursue the investigation in a blog posted on October 2. But although Liz MacKean, the Newsnight reporter, questioned his claims the day after, the BBC did not issue a clarification until October 22, when it admitted it was wrong to assert that all victims who were interviewed by Newsnight had contacted the police. A BBC spokesman said: "We will publish the total costs for the inquiry when it is concluded."