Media Freedom Coalition

Monday 17th March 2025 Lords Chamber

Question

14:59

Asked by

[Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the work of the Media Freedom Coalition in protecting journalistic freedom.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Lord Collins of Highbury) (Lab)]

My Lords, the Government have been proud to continue to protect and promote media freedom internationally, particularly through the Media Freedom Coalition. I attended the fifth anniversary of the MFC at the United Nations General Assembly —UNGA—in September 2024. Since July 2024, the Media Freedom Coalition has continued to call out cases of concern globally with UK support. The coalition has undertaken an evaluation of its work, and we will work with co-chairs and the secretariat to ensure that the Media Freedom Coalition continues to evolve and grow.

[Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con)]

My Lords, I recognise the Minister’s response. He will recognise too that in 2019, when the then Foreign Secretary and I set up the Media Freedom Coalition with 21 members, we ensured that the membership increased to 51 by the end of 2023. Can he give an update on the current membership and the support and funds being extended to protect journalists—122 journalists and media workers died last year—and in support of the high-level legal panel so ably chaired by the noble Baroness, Lady Kennedy?

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

I congratulate the noble Lord on his efforts. He is absolutely right. From 2019, he and I worked closely in supporting media freedom, and I continue to do so. We are absolutely committed to building and extending the coalition, as I tried to do at the General Assembly of the UN. The current co-chairs are Germany and Estonia. We are working with them to develop the membership.

I stress, as I did last week in New York and at UNGA, extending the voice of media freedom to the workers, particularly journalists. We are working with the International Federation of Journalists and the NUJ in this country to ensure that it is not just government voices but the voices of civil society that are focused on protecting freedom of information and media freedom.

[Baroness Coussins (CB)]

My Lords, what specific measures are His Majesty’s Government taking in response to the serious escalation in the harassment of and threats towards BBC Persian staff by the Iranian authorities, including the journalists who are based here in London and their families in Iran?

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

As the noble Baroness knows, from the beginning we have been focused on this, making very strong representations. We have been working with the Home Office to ensure that there is no intimidation of those journalists who are residing here, as well as ensuring the protection of journalists in Iran. She raises a really important point. This is why the media coalition is so effective in ensuring that a range of countries add their voices.

[Viscount Colville of Culross (CB)]

My Lords, can the Minister confirm whether the Government are considering cuts to the BBC World Service grant as part of a reduction in overseas development spending?

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

I cannot confirm that, actually. The important thing is that we value the BBC World Service and have increased funding, with an uplift of £32.6 million in 2025-26, taking the total contribution from the UK Government to £137 million. We want to ensure a longer-term sustainable future for the BBC World Service, which will be done through the charter review. Where those elements of ODA are concerned, that is part of the spending review, but the noble Lord is being a bit premature here.

[Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws (Lab)]

My Lords, I chair the high-level legal panel which advises the international coalition of nations referred to by the noble Lord, Lord Ahmad. I thank the Minister for his attendance at the United Nations General Assembly with us all, promoting the strong sense that democracy depends on there being free media. Unfortunately, disinformation is one of the real challenges. What is being done about the retreat from this arena by USAID? Media freedom is being curtailed in a lot of places in the world where journalists are trained. What is the United Kingdom doing to replace those efforts in its work on soft power?

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

The noble Baroness makes an important point. Media freedom is absolutely part of this Government’s missions, particularly economic growth, because transparency is needed for that, as well as for climate and security. Media freedom plays an important part.

We are aware that the American Government have made significant changes to the US Agency for Global Media and related agencies such as Voice of America. I come back to how much we value the BBC World Service as it continues to provide impartial and accurate news to global audiences. I stress why it is so vital: it is a trusted voice. It is not the voice of the UK Government. I hesitate to use the term “soft power”. It is an independent voice, trusted globally, and we value that very much. We will monitor developments in relation to the USAGM and review carefully with the BBC any impacts on the World Service.

[Lord Purvis of Tweed (LD)]

My Lords, further to that, the Minister and the House know that countering mis- and disinformation, especially in hostile environments, is a key part of our national security and defence. Over the last five years, the UK has committed over £500 million in this regard, all scored as official development assistance. On 7 March, the Minister’s colleague, the Minister for Development, gave an instruction that all new funding programming is now paused in advance of the spending review. Can the Minister say, at the very least, when it comes to this key part of our national security—countering mis- and disinformation—whether this funding will be protected?

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

The Prime Minister has announced a strategic vision for spending on defence and security. This has the impact on ODA that the noble Lord has mentioned, but the Government are absolutely committed to a significant development role. We will make detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used. We will work through this, as part of the ongoing spending review, on the basis of various factors, including impact assessments. I will not predict or predetermine what that review will undertake, but I have been very clear in my responses about the importance of media freedom to our security.

[Lord Callanan (Con)]

My Lords, press freedom in Syria was severely limited under the Assad regime, when many journalists were imprisoned for years, if not decades. What steps are Ministers taking to engage with our international partners to promote press freedom in Syria following the fall of that reprehensible regime?

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

As the noble Lord knows from previous responses, we are working with all our allies, particularly those neighbouring Syria, to ensure that the new Government in Syria are inclusive and allow a range of voices to be heard. Obviously, you cannot create a new independent media service simply from the ground, but the important ingredients of that—I come back to my original response—are how we develop free speech, freedom of association and, particularly, freedom of religion and belief. These are all ingredients that create the conditions for media freedom, and we are working very closely with our allies to ensure that that continues in Syria.

[Lord Inglewood (CB)]

My Lords, can the Minister confirm that in the general context of media freedom, plurality in its own way is just as significant as freedom, narrowly defined?

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

That is correct. We are absolutely committed to the plurality of media freedom. We are supporting a programme that supports local media facilities in a range of countries. The noble Lord is right: a range of voices is necessary for proper media freedom, and that should be ensured.