Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is to issue a humiliating apology after The Mail on Sunday exposed him for misleading the House of Commons over who will foot the huge compensation bill for victims of Jimmy Savile . In a statement to the House last week , Mr Hunt pledged that Savile ’ s charities are responsible for paying up to £40 million due . But this newspaper can reveal that the charities are exempt – and that it is the NHS which is liable . The Mail on Sunday has also learnt that a further bill , which may eventually be as large , will be met by BBC licence fee payers . Scroll down for video . Pledge : Jeremy Hunt speaking in the House of Commons last week where he pledged that Jimmy Savile 's charities would fit the £40 million bill due to his victims . Last night , in a major climbdown , a Department of Health spokeswoman confirmed that a statement to the House by Mr Hunt on February 26 was inaccurate . ‘ He will be writing to the Opposition to correct it , ’ she said . She said the NHS had not set aside a ‘ specific pot ’ of money , but added : ‘ We are committed to picking up any claims the estate can not cover. ’ The Savile estate is already effectively bankrupt . Mr Hunt addressed the Commons after the publication of reports which detailed Savile ’ s abuse of victims at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire and elsewhere . He told MPs that a total of £40 million was still ‘ under management ’ in two charities Savile established and ‘ that money will be made available to meet claims made by Savile ’ s victims ’ . Mr Hunt added : ‘ If it is not enough , the Government will meet any further claims through the NHS Litigation Authority. ’ Savile founded the charities , mainly to fund healthcare , they were run by independent trustees and formed no part of his estate , which is already effectively bankrupt . However , although Savile founded the charities , mainly to fund healthcare , they were run by independent trustees and formed no part of his estate . Last year the High Court and the Court of Appeal made clear that they can not be asked to meet any compensation costs or damages . And yesterday it emerged that neither charity held anything close to £40 million anyway . The Jimmy Savile Stoke Mandeville Hospital Trust had around £1.75 million when it was wound up in 2013 , and the accounts to December 2014 show the Jimmy Savile Charitable Trust held £3.4 million . Jo Summers , the charities ’ solicitor , said : ‘ There is no way funds in a charity can be used to pay compensation to victims , as this is not permitted by charity law . The only funds that can be used to pay compensation are the estate funds. ’ The BBC has also agreed to pay the legal costs and damages for those abused on its premises . Yesterday a spokesman refused to reveal how much the Corporation had earmarked , saying only : ‘ The terms of the scheme were agreed with lawyers for the victims , as well as the NHS and the Savile estate. ’ As of November last year , the Savile estate was worth £3.2 million . But almost all of this is certain to be eaten up in fixed payments to lawyers agreed under a ‘ fast track ’ compensation scheme for which about 200 people have applied . So far just 39 claims have been rejected . As this newspaper reported last year , under the scheme each claim will trigger payments of up to £16,000 to lawyers . Further payments will be made to law firm Osborne Clarke , which runs the scheme on behalf of Savile ’ s executors , NatWest . The firm had already been paid £500,000 when the scheme was approved by the Court of Appeal in November , and will be due more . In many cases , the damages paid will be less than the legal costs . The Jimmy Savile Stoke Mandeville Hospital Trust had around £1.75 million when it was wound up in 2013 , and the accounts to December 2014 show the Jimmy Savile Charitable Trust held £3.4 million . But this is not the end of taxpayers ’ liability . As well as claiming under the fast track scheme , alleged victims can also sue Savile ’ s estate directly in the High Court . In last year ’ s court hearings it emerged that numerous actions are being considered – with damages and costs likely to be higher . However , bedevilling these is a lack of documentary records , and evidence of some false claims by individuals . Ms Summers added : ‘ It seems impossible to quantify the potential bill . The number of abuse allegations greatly outweighs the number of claims being brought under the scheme . It could be years before the NHS knows the total cost. ’ Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham said : ‘ It is of great concern that Jeremy Hunt could give such misleading information to victims and the Commons on a matter of this significance . He needs to return to the Commons at first opportunity to apologise to victims and correct the record . ’
Jeremy Hunt is to issue an apology after misleading House of Commons . Last week he pledged Jimmy Savile 's charities would pay compensation . But it has been revealed that the charities are exempt and NHS is liable . A further bill , which may be as large , will be met by BBC licence fee payers . Comment: