Jimmy Savile: Cameron Hints Over Knighthood

The PM raises the prospect of Sir Jimmy Savile being posthumously stripped of his knighthood after sexual abuse allegations.

The committee which looks at rescinding honours may want to consider Sir Jimmy Savile's knighthood following sexual abuse allegations against him, the Prime Minister has told Sky News.

When asked about the growing number of accusations against the late TV and radio presenter, who was knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in 1990, David Cameron said: "I think every institution has to ask themselves all the right questions.

"The BBC clearly has important questions to ask. We have in Britain something called the forfeiture committee - I don't sit on it, or chair it, or direct it - but it's the committee that looks at whether honours should be rescinded and I'm sure that they will obviously want to do their jobs as others have to do theirs."
The Jim'll Fix It Star, who died aged 84 a year ago, also received an OBE in 1971 for services to charity and broadcasting.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the BBC Trust has said allegations of sexual abuse by Sir Jimmy over a number of years while he worked for the broadcaster cannot be excused as behaviour from a time when "attitudes were different".

Lord Patten has also given his full backing to inquiries by police and the corporation.
Speaking at a business dinner in Cardiff, the BBC chairman said it was "no excuse to say 'that was then' in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, and attitudes were different then".

He told the Cardiff Business Club: "It's no excuse to say, 'I'm sure the same thing used to happen with pop groups and others at the time'. Those things may be true but they don't provide an excuse."

His comments came after BBC director-general George Entwistle apologised to the alleged victims and pledged the corporation would hold its own inquiry following a police probe.
Lord Patten echoed Mr Entwistle's announcement and outlined how the BBC would act.

He said: "There will be a full police inquiry and we will encourage people to co-operate with it, and when that is completed, we will then look at the issues which still remain to be resolved in a way which will have to command credibility in the wider community."

Mr Entwistle, who started in his new role last month, spoke of deep regret about the ordeals of the women involved in the "awful allegations", and said there would be a "comprehensive examination" of what went on.
Last week the BBC said it would work with police in examining the claims and Mr Entwistle wrote to staff urging them to come forward with information.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday, he said: "These are awful allegations that have been made, and they are criminal allegations.

"And the first thing I want to say is that the women involved here have gone through something awful, something I deeply regret they should have to go through, and I would like to apologise on behalf of the organisation to each and every one of them for what they've had to endure here."
A growing number of women have come forward to claim they were either abused - many of them under-age - or that they saw others who were victims.

A number of former colleagues have also told how they were aware of rumours about the former Top Of The Pops presenter.
Unease about the claims has led to a number of memorials to the star being removed, including an inscription on the wall at Leeds Civic Hall in recognition of his charity work and a street sign in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.
Former Radio 1 DJ Liz Kershaw told over the weekend how when she joined Radio 1 in 1987 - the year Sir Jimmy left - his behaviour was an "open secret" at the station.

She described how she was routinely groped by another presenter as she was broadcasting.
Broadcaster Janet Street-Porter previously revealed she was aware of rumours about the television and radio presenter's alleged abuse of under-age girls when she worked at the BBC in the late 1980s.
Police child abuse officers have met BBC officials to discuss the allegations.
Officers said they were contacting all individuals who have made claims about the late presenter and should know how many reported victims there are some time this week.