LONDON — The chairman of BP says embattled chief executive Tony Hayward is being relieved of day-to-day responsibility for managing the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, a day after he angered U.S. lawmakers with his refusal to answer many of their questions.

Company chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg said Hayward "is now handing over the operations, the daily operations to (BP Managing Director) Bob Dudley," according to the transcript of an interview with Sky News television released today.

The company had already announced June 4 that Dudley would lead the long-term response to the oil spill once the leak had been stopped. Svanberg's statement appeared to accelerate that timeline, as millions of gallons of crude continue to gush into the Gulf.