Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury
Main Page: Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury's debates with the Home Office
(12 years, 7 months ago)
Lords ChamberMy Lords, what the press publish is a matter for the press and not for us, but I note what my noble friend has to say about the activities of some people in the past. I repeat that we feel that we should wait until the inquiry being conducted by Lord Justice Leveson has been concluded.
Does the Minister agree with the editor of Private Eye, who said at the Leveson inquiry yesterday that we do not need new laws to govern the press, that phone hacking, paying the police for evidence and being in contempt of court contravene existing laws, and that we need proper and vigorous enforcement of them?
My noble friend makes a very good point. All the matters she referred to are against the law, and we should always be very loath to pass new laws purely because we see a problem happening when there are existing laws that serve that purpose very well. The important matter is to make sure there is proper enforcement.