Leveson Inquiry

Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury Excerpts

Thursday 24th October 2013 Lords Chamber

[Lord Gardiner of Kimble]

My Lords, the first thing I will say is that the noble Lord is indeed a patient Lord. However, our purpose is to seek a voluntary process, and we very much hope that the press will, through its independent, self-regulatory body, apply to the recognition panel so that what has happened before does not happen again and we have the right mechanism in place. I emphasise that it is voluntary for the press to apply to the recognition panel. However, as your Lordships know, Parliament has—following through from the Leveson report—made very clear, through the Crime and Courts Act, what the position would be for those who transgressed.

[Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (LD)]

Did the Minister see the Guardian/ICM poll last week, which demonstrated that the public are solidly behind external regulation of the press, underpinned by an outside body? Does he agree that the newspaper publishers should listen to the public, as well as to the victims and Parliament, and support the cross-party charter?

[Lord Gardiner of Kimble]

My Lords, I very much agree with my noble friend. In the end, we have a duty to the public and to the victims in particular. We have a responsibility to try to set in place a position where this does not happen again and which gives confidence to the public. I am aware of the polls—polls can do a range of things. I hope the press will see that the cross-party charter is designed because of good will and that we wish to protect the freedom of the press while ensuring that people have proper redress.