Sir Alan in first 'tsar' role visit

The Conservatives have written to BBC director general Mark Thompson questioning whether Sir Alan's "enterprise tsar" role could breach the corporation's impartiality rules during the General Election campaign.

Sir Alan, who will take a seat in the House of Lords following Gordon Brown's reshuffle last week, was in Gateshead meeting young people as part of a campaign encouraging more teenagers to take up apprenticeships.

One reporter asked Sir Alan whether there was a conflict of interest between his TV show and his new Government role.

"I am not here to discuss my new Government role. As I said to this gentleman here [BBC reporter] this is the fourth seminar in the apprenticeship initiative," the tycoon said.

"That's what I'm doing here and hopefully the initiative will go on. This is not part of the so-called Government role that was announced last week and that's what I am here to talk about."

Sir Alan was also asked whether his Government appointment was just "window dressing" by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. "I think that's a rather nasty question, to be honest with you. This is the fourth seminar I have done in this process," he said.

"We started out in February in London, then we went to Birmingham. If you have done your homework as a journalist should do, you would know that I have been doing roadshows for the last 10 to 15 years at universities, colleges and places like that and I take great exception to that suggestion."

The Government wants to see up to 400,000 apprenticeships on offer in England by 2020, covering one in five young people in total. The campaign follows a Bill to raise the school leaving age to 18 receiving Royal Assent.

The Bill also gives all adults in England the legal right to funding for basic literacy and numeracy courses and some vocational qualifications.