Image source, EPA

In July we reported that the BBC had reduced its median gender pay gap from 9.3% to 7.6%.

The corporation has also reduced its mean pay gap from 10.7% to 8.4%.

The improvements come ahead of the publication of the BBC's annual report next week, a year on from the first publication of the pay of on-air broadcasters paid more than £150,000.

Last year's salary disclosures prompted controversy over two separate issues - the gender pay gap and instances of unequal pay.

Read more here.

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Tory MSP Alexander Stewart asks how does BBC Scotland tackle the gender pay gap crisis?

Deputy Director-General Anne Bulford says there has been a reduction in the gender pay from 9.3 to 7.6, which is not where we want to be, we want to drive it down further.

The gender pay gap in Scotland was a bit lower, says Ms Bulford.

There is an imbalance in senior leadership, she adds, saying there are not enough women in the higher paid jobs.

She says the BBC is working very hard to tackle all issues around the gender pay gap.

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Nicola Sturgeon has pulled out of a conference in Edinburgh next month because Donald Trump's ex-strategist Steve Bannon was also due to speak.

The first minister had been scheduled to take part in the three-day News Xchange event, which is being co-hosted by the BBC, on 13 November.

However, she said that giving Mr Bannon a platform risked "legitimising or normalising far-right, racist views".

Steve Bannon was one of Donald Trump's most trusted aides until August 2017.

Image source, Reuters

Read more here.

Mr Greer raises the issue of the invitation of the "white nationalist Steve Bannon" to a conference in Edinburgh, which led to the first minister withdrawing from the event.

At what point is someone beyond the pale, asks Mr Greer.

BBC Scotland Director Donalda Mackinnon replies: "We respect the first minister's decision not to participate in News Xchange conference."

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Ms Mackinnon says: "It was reported in the press that BBC Scotland had invited Steve Bannon, that is not the case."

It is a European Broadcasting Union's (EBU) News Xchange conference and the BBC is a member.

The committee of News Xchange decided to invite Steve Bannon, she elucidates.

It is about holding people to account and it was felt by the committee they should invite Steve Bannon, Ms Mackinnon says.

Mr Greer says: "I think you're being played in this particular case."

SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson asks if it is not the case that Nick Griffin's appearances on Question Time led to the demise of the BNP.

Green MSP Ross Greer turns to the BBC's news and current affairs output.

He highlights that Newsnight had an episode in which the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) advocated for the privatisation of the NHS.

Given there is no donor transparency at the IEA, why was it allowed to use the BBC as a platform the Green MSP asks.

The BBC has a very long-standing and robust process regarding balance, particularly when it comes to current affairs Mr Morrison replies.

"I don't want to comment on the general because I have not seen the specific item," he adds.

Deputy Director-General Anne Bulford says putting ideas to challenge is an important part of what we do.

People are not invited on to be given a platform, but for their views to be challenged and for them to be interviewed, she argues.

Ms Bulford points to complaint channels if there is an issue where the context of these views is not clear.

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Ms McAlpine says just about every major commentator in Scotland has commented on the lack of returnable high quality drama in Scotland.

She says we should have those kind of shows in Scotland.

Mr Morrison says returnable programmes like Doctor Who do not have to be made in Wales.

He argues there has been a growth of drama coming out of Scotland in recent years.

Ms McApline says Mr Morrison's job should not be justifying the disparity between Scotland and Wales, to which he replies he is "quite a pushy person".

The member for Scotland on the board of the BBC says Scotland has received, over the last three years, an extra £40m a year, when other nations have had to cut their resources.

Convener Joan McAlpine says the difference between Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is "very striking".

Mr Morrison says there is no real comparison between the three nations.

He points out that Wales has been chosen as the centre for drama from the BBC and many programmes coming from here are not Wales-focused, such as Doctor Who and Sherlock.

Northern Ireland is totally different, he argues, because the cost to make local news is about the same no matter the size of the area, meaning the percentage ends up being higher due to the small population in Northern Ireland.

"In the end, what we all really want is a largely, sustainable indigenous creative industry in Scotland."

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The BBC spends 68.8% of licence fees collected in Scotland on services in Scotland. This ratio is lower than in Wales and Northern Ireland, where it is 92.3% and 88% respectively.

Read more here., external

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Committee convener Joan McAlpine moves to the amount of the BBC licence fee that is spent in Scotland.

The committee has said it is too low repeatedly, she adds.

Ms McAlpine point out this year the amount of the licence fee spent in Scotland has actually fallen and 68% remains well behind Wales and Northern Ireland.

Why is the situation not improving, she asks.

Steve Morrison argues that in fact it is improving, saying the amount is rising year on year.

Mr Morrison says when the new channel broadcasts for a whole year the number will be "nudging 80%".

He says the fall this year was due to delayed broadcasts and not as many Still Game episodes being broadcast as expected.

Steve Morrison, the member for Scotland on the BBC board, explains his role is to ensure the views of Scotland's population is reflect in the BBC's output.

I also believe it is part of my role to encourage BBC Scotland to be "bold and ambitious," he adds.

The new BBC Scotland channel to be launched next year will see a 900 hour boost to original programmes and Scotland will be the only part of the UK with two dedicated BBC channels, Mr Morrison says.

He says there will be 270 new posts by the end of March due to this new investment.

Image source, bbc

Committee convener Joan McAlpine introduces the witnesses:

• Deputy Director-General Anne Bulford
• Steve Morrison, Member for Scotland, BBC
• BBC Scotland Director Donalda Mackinnon

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MSPs will take evidence on the BBC annual report and accounts from:

• Deputy Director-General Anne Bulford
• BBC Scotland Director Donalda Mackinnon
• Steve Morrison, Member for Scotland, BBC

Read the committee papers here., external

Green MSP Ross Greer asks about action to ensure Turkey respects the European Union's values of having an open democracy.

Mr Zimmermann explains relations with Turkey have improved over the last 12 months and the country does have a role to play in the future of Europe.

However, he insists EU membership is not the right approach.

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Turkey matters to the West but the question now being asked in Washington and in several European capitals is "just how much?"

Turkey is a prominent member of Nato. Its military bases are important for current US air operations in the Middle East.

Turkey is also among the European Union's most important eastern neighbours. Its progress towards joining the EU may have badly stalled, not least due to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's growing authoritarianism.

But Ankara remains a vital partner for Europe, playing a crucial role in helping to stem the flow of migrants westwards. Turkey itself is host to more than 3.5 million refugees from the fighting in neighbouring Syria.

Read more.

Tory MSP Jamie Greene asks whether the Austrian presidency will be "robust with Russia", given its reliance on Russian energy imports.

Mr Zimmermann says Austria is "fully supportive" of EU sanctions against Russia.

Regarding energy imports, he says Austria's dependence is far less than neighbouring countries.

Tory MSP Jamie Greene says Austria's vice-chancellor said migration is not and cannot become a human right.

What did he mean by that, he asks.

The ambassador explains the countries around and including Austria were particularly hit by the migration crisis.

He says there are a number of points in the global compact for migration, external which do not concur with the Austrian government's view.

Image source, bbc

The Guardian reports, external that Brussels has spoken out against Austria’s decision to join Hungary in not signing a UN global migration pact approved by most countries.

The right-wing government in Vienna announced on Wednesday that it would not agree to the global compact on migration because it feared this would lead to “a human right to migration”, a claim dismissed by the UN.

Hungary and the US have already withdrawn from the compact, while Poland is considering not signing the accord.

European Parliament
Strasbourg

Image source, EBS

On 3 July 2018 Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz told MEPs that Austria is a "pro-European country" and it is an "honour" to take on the EU presidency.

As a young leader, he said, the EU is "the most natural thing in the world", but he hopes his country can help "change it for the better".

He pledged that Austria will ensure that "fundamental freedoms" such as democracy and the rule of law are preserved, and that Europe "remains competitive".

The "European model" depends on economic performance, he added.

Labour MSP Neil Findlay suggests there has been an absolute failure to deal with the migration crisis as we have seen people drown in the Mediterranean.

Michael Zimmermann accepts that measures taken in the past have not prevented such tragedies.

The root causes of the tragedies, such as criminal businesses, are now being addressed, he says.

If illegal movement takes place, government's have a duty to stop it Mr Zimmermann adds.

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The national governments are the most powerful part of the EU and its main decision-making body.

Ministers responsible for areas such as industry, transport and agriculture meet regularly in Brussels as part of the Council of the European Union - often referred to instead as the Council of Ministers.

The Council makes new laws, but it does not work in isolation.

Take care not to mix this body up with the European Council which is made up of the EU’s 28 prime ministers and presidents. They meet or have EU summits at least four times a year.

Read more about how the EU works.

Austrian ambassador Michael Zimmermann says Chancellor Kurz believes the EU should tackle the large topics and leave the smaller topics where they belong at the national, local level.

Mr Zimmerman says the Salzburg summit was used as an opportunity to talk about Brexit.

SNP MSP Annabelle Ewing raises recent suggests that UK citizens travelling to the EU may have to pay a fee of 7 Euros to do so.

Mr Zimmermann says the regulation was signed off by the Austrian presidency and European parliament to allow for better control of who enters the EU.

He is uncertain about whether it will apply during the transition period, but adds he is "pretty sure" it will not be used against UK citizens.