The BBC has asked Edwards to repay the £200,000 salary he has received since his arrest.

BBC Director-General Tim Davie said last week that the money should be returned and the corporation will “explore” the legal process if Edwards refuses.

Mr Davie and BBC Chairman Samir Shah were questioned by the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee on Wednesday (September 11).

On the disgraced presenter’s pay, Mr Davie said: “We’ve made the formal request, and I can’t go into too much detail, but discussions are under way, but I’ve got no further news, apart from the BBC’s position is clear, the money should be returned, and we made the request.”

When asked if he set a deadline, he said: “I don’t believe we set a deadline… but we do expect to make progress and get an answer.”

Mr Shah told the same committee that Edwards had “damaged” the BBC’s reputation. He said: “There’s nothing more important than public trust in the BBC, and we are custodians of that trust and what Huw Edwards did damaged the reputation and the trust for the BBC so we take that very seriously indeed.

“I should say, it was a shock to discover, when it was announced, when he was charged, that he had led this double life. On the face of it, a trusted news presenter, but hidden, secretly, he was this figure who did the most appalling things. I mean, let’s never forget the victims.”

Mr Shah said he knew Edwards, having overseen current affairs at the BBC decades ago, adding other staff who worked with him “feel angry and betrayed” by the former presenter.