Lord Ryder of Wensum
Main Page: Lord Ryder of Wensum (Conservative - Life peer)
Baroness Rawlings
My Lords, I am afraid that I cannot remember which section the noble and learned Baroness was talking about, but we are fully aware of what she asked. The point was made by Ofcom that media plurality public interest tests can be triggered only by merger and therefore do not cover growth, which is the area that she was talking about.
Lord Ryder of Wensum
My Lords, in view of the fact that the ownership of websites has been excluded from previous legislation, what steps have the Government taken, and will they be taking, to rectify this serious oversight?
Baroness Rawlings
My Lords, my noble friend Lord Ryder asks a fascinating and important question. In determining the appropriate size of media ownership, we will be considering the extent to which websites should be included. The current rules are outdated and do not even acknowledge the existence of websites, yet websites could conceivably have an important role in controlling access to new sources and have implications for plurality. That is why the Secretary of State has asked Ofcom to look into this matter, and we will consider carefully the recommendations that Lord Justice Leveson makes in this area.