Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will list grants made by his Department to the Press Recognition Panel since 2014; and what the purpose was of those grants.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

In 2014, the Ministry of Justice awarded a sum of £3 million to the Press Recognition Panel (PRP). This payment was made on the basis of the Royal Charter on Self-Regulation of the press, which states that the Lord Chancellor (acting on behalf of The Exchequer) will fund the PRP until it becomes effective. This initial funding was exhausted in the 2022-23 financial year. Since then, an annual payment of £430,000 has been made to the PRP, in line with its right to request further reasonable sums in the event that its income is considered to be insufficient, so it is not frustrated by a lack of funding. This was also set out in the Royal Charter. The last of these payments were made in the 2026-27 financial year. As the Ministry of Justice acts on behalf of HM Treasury as a funding conduit, plans for future funding do not fall under the remit of the Department although the Ministry of Justice will continue to fund the PRP if they make further funding requests.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has to provide future funding to the Press Recognition Panel.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

In 2014, the Ministry of Justice awarded a sum of £3 million to the Press Recognition Panel (PRP). This payment was made on the basis of the Royal Charter on Self-Regulation of the press, which states that the Lord Chancellor (acting on behalf of The Exchequer) will fund the PRP until it becomes effective. This initial funding was exhausted in the 2022-23 financial year. Since then, an annual payment of £430,000 has been made to the PRP, in line with its right to request further reasonable sums in the event that its income is considered to be insufficient, so it is not frustrated by a lack of funding. This was also set out in the Royal Charter. The last of these payments were made in the 2026-27 financial year. As the Ministry of Justice acts on behalf of HM Treasury as a funding conduit, plans for future funding do not fall under the remit of the Department although the Ministry of Justice will continue to fund the PRP if they make further funding requests.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the reporting thresholds for excluded sellers in the Platform Operators (Due Diligence and Reporting Requirements) Regulations 2023 on individuals selling low-value personal items through online marketplaces; what representations he has received from industry on those thresholds; and he Government plans to (a) raise the monetary threshold and (b) remove the 30-transaction threshold in those Regulations.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

The thresholds for excluded sellers in the Platform Operators (Due Diligence and Reporting Requirements) Regulations 2023 are designed to exclude casual sellers from reporting requirements while ensuring HMRC receives information necessary to support tax compliance.

HMRC engages regularly with affected stakeholders regarding operation of the regime. The exclusion thresholds are based on rules internationally agreed at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The rules are subject to regular review, and the UK will remain engaged in international discussions to ensure consistency with international partners and minimise burdens on platform operators.

Found: Sir John Whittingdale raised the case of Georgian journalist, Mzia Amaglobeli.

Found: Members present: Fleur Anderson; Alex Ballinger; Dan Carden; Abtisam Mohamed; Edward Morello; Sir John Whittingdale

Found: Chair); Fleur Anderson; Richard Foord; Abtisam Mohamed; Edward Morello; Emily Thornberry; Sir John Whittingdale

Found: Chair); Fleur Anderson; Richard Foord; Abtisam Mohamed; Edward Morello; Emily Thornberry; Sir John Whittingdale

Found: Chair); Fleur Anderson; Richard Foord; Abtisam Mohamed; Edward Morello; Emily Thornberry; Sir John Whittingdale