Ken MacQuarrie said job cuts would not damage BBC Scotland's output

Mr MacQuarrie said the cuts, announced on 21 March, would not adversely affect the quality of output provided by BBC Scotland's various services.

The BBC chief said that by 2008, the plan should release an extra �10m.

Union officials told Holyrood's enterprise and culture committee that the quality assurance was unbelievable.

Stephen Low, chief representative of the National Union of Journalists at BBC Scotland, said it was "inconceivable" that the proposed job losses could be imposed without impacting on quality.

Overall, the savings and restructuring will enable BBC Scotland to benefit from significant new investment Ken MacQuarrie BBC Scotland controller

In a written submission to MSPs, Mr Low said increasing levels of independent production would "inevitably" increase the potential for conflicts of interest to arise.

He wrote: "BBC staff make programmes for the BBC to the BBC's standards. Independent production companies make programmes to make money.

"The proposed cuts will impact directly on programme quality, both through the sacking of programme makers and the loading of support tasks onto programme teams."

Union members are now being balloted on whether to take strike action over the job cuts.

Independent producers

Mr MacQuarrie's written submission ahead of the committee meeting highlighted moves for new investment in local news projects.

He said the 176 job losses from BBC Scotland content and output departments represented 13.5% of the corporation's 1,300 Scottish content, output and local support staff.

These would be phased over the next three years "where possible" through redeployment, natural staff turnover and voluntary redundancies, he added.

Either I misheard or they were being disingenuous in some of the things they said Jeremy Dear NUJ

A further 19 posts are to be cut from "professional services".

Mr MacQuarrie said that over the coming five years BBC Scotland, BBC Wales and BBC Northern Ireland would compete for up to 17% of network BBC output - 50% more than at present.

This enhanced level of commissions from around the UK would be open to independent producers.

Mr MacQuarrie said: "Overall, the savings and restructuring will enable BBC Scotland to benefit from significant new investment, with more network production from Scotland, new local services and the organisational structure required to deliver a wider and richer range of programmes than ever before."

'Rubbish' assertion

He also signalled his aim to devolve work further in the long-term, "enhancing production centres such as Inverness and Aberdeen" by actively pursuing an "out of Glasgow" strategy.

Committee members pressed him on the question of how, if jobs were to go, quality would not be sacrificed.

SNP MSP Michael Matheson branded equipment used by video-journalists as "rubbish" and described it as comprising of "glorified video cameras".

Mr MacQuarrie disagreed, saying he had taken a "pretty cautious" approach to video-journalism. "I do not accept your contention that the quality is rubbish," he said.

Mr MacQuarrie added: "I absolutely guarantee that we will maintain the quality of output at BBC Scotland."

Production processes

BBC Scotland's head of news and current affairs Blair Jenkins, who also appeared in front of the committee, said that new technology allowed production "processes" to be simplified.

The number of journalists who would work on gathering news around Scotland would increase under the plans, he said.

Jeremy Dear, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), told the committee it would be impossible for BBC Scotland to maintain quality while cutting staff.

Mr Dear also disputed Mr MacQuarrie's claims that administration pressures on programme-makers would be eased.

"Either I misheard or they were being disingenuous in some of the things they said," he said.

Cuts 'non-negotiable'

Mr Dear added: "On one hand they are open to negotiation but on the other hand the 13.5% cuts are non-negotiable.

"We heard them say there would be no impact in quality and yet they expect staff to be carrying out 20% extra work.

"We don't think that is possible without damaging the quality of the output."

Labour MSP Christine May said it was "profoundly depressing" that the two sides were airing dirty linen in public.