Questions, questions and more questions

This is a grumpy post, and not perfectly formed, but here goes.  Media correspondents need to ask better questions about the proposed move of the production base of Question Time to Glasgow.  It's not about people; it's not about improving the programme; it's about conflicting BBC quotas.

Though the rolling credits at the end of the programme may look long, the permanent staff are few - and are not going to make an impact on the bare tundra of the upper floors of Pacific Quay. An editor to think of the guests, a researcher to set them up, a p.a. to fix their transport and hotels, a production manager to sort out the venues. A bit of dialogue with an executive producer at Mentorn HQ; some kow-towing to a BBC executive producer at Millbank ('cos indies can't really be trusted). The rest of the names are the freelance crews, engineers, make-up artists etc who turn up for the day of the show.

The quotas come in two ways; BBC News has to hit a certain number of hours of indie production, and the BBC as a whole is committed to increasing the amount of money "spent" in Scotland.  Mentorn have already established a "base camp" in Glasgow, with production of the BBC1 Sunday show The Big Questions, and there's clearly a possibility to share some back-office effort to reduce costs. But whilst the cash for The Big Questions may go through Scottish accounts (via BBC Religion and Ethics, sent to Manchester under a previous quota), I'd be very surprised to find presenter Nicky Campbell and executive producer Steve Anderson on the windswept promenades of Pacific Quay on any regular basis. I'm pretty sure their wages, like those of Anne Robinson, are taken in English notes and pumped back fairly quickly into the economy of the Home Counties.  Charades, anyone ?