Telegraph Newspapers

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay Excerpts

Wednesday 5th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

The noble Lord portrays a very bleak future in which we do not have the national newspapers of which so many of us are proud and about which noble Lords from across the House clearly feel very passionate. The SI mentioned by the noble Baroness, Lady Stowell, relates to an SI that has exceptions to the regime, around foreign investment, but does not go as far as allowing foreign state ownership or influence on the policy of UK newspapers.

[Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)]

My Lords, has the Prime Minister had any discussions with the Government of the UAE about this matter since he took office, for instance during his visit to the Emirates in December?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

The noble Lord is right that the Prime Minister visited the UAE in December. I am not clear whether this issue was raised, but I am clear that we will continue to do whatever we can to reinforce the UK-UAE relationship more generally. Separate to that, we are taking forward the legislation that he led on when the party opposite was in government, which I hope to bring before the House in the near future.