The BBC's director general, George Entwistle, has defended his response to the controversial decisions made by the Newsnight programme. The BBC has apologised unreservedly for the broadcast of a report which led to the former Conservative party treasurer, Lord McAlpine, being wrongly implicated in the North Wales child sex abuse scandal of the 1970s and 80s.

The witness who said he had been abused by a senior political figure from the Thatcher era admitted yesterday that he made a mistake when he identified Lord McAlpine as the attacker.

Mr Entwistle said that the report had been checked by lawyers and the appropriate senior managers and that he had now launched an immediate investigation.

"I'm a director general, who's encountered these problems and who is doing everything," he told Today presenter John Humphrys.

"I am doing everything I can, I believe I am doing the right things. I know there are times when I was thought to be a bit slow over Savile. I could have been a bit quicker to move to announcing the independent inquiries by a few days I've admitted that. But the truth is that I'm doing the right things to put this stuff straight."

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