The BBC has today admitted that it has sought legal advice about recouping some of the £450,000 payoff given to George Entwistle, who spent 54 days in the role, after the Commons Public Accounts Committee described the amount as a "cavalier" use of money.
However, the BBC Trust has said that the recouping is unlikely to happen, because the Pollard review into the Jimmy Savile and Lord McAlpine scandals did not implicate Entwistle.
Committee chairwoman Margaret Hodge said: "Public servants should not be rewarded for failure. But that was exactly what happened when the BBC Trust paid off the former director general, George Entwistle.
"In order to speed his departure, he was paid £450,000, twice what he was contractually entitled to, and then, if that were not bad enough, 12 months' private medical cover and a contribution to the cost of his legal fees and public relations advice were added to the package.
"This cavalier use of public money is out of line with public expectations and what is considered acceptable elsewhere in the public sector."