Ms Teresa McGrane:

It is not beyond the capacity of the parent production company to employ people on a consistent basis. In the past few years it has been a little better. There has been a lot of work and many have gone from one production to another. That means that they did not have gaps in work and in getting wages but it also means that they are still not accruing service with any employer. If, in particular, the production companies have a series that returns for series two, series three and series four, by now some of those people could have had five or six years of continuous employment and the resulting benefits. The parent production company that opens the special purpose vehicle should take responsibility for those employees. That is my solution to that.

On the training, there is a vast difference between people in office grades or more professional grades. The production companies have, as the committee heard already, some core staff.