UK Newspapers and News Magazines: Foreign Investment

Lord Brennan of Canton Excerpts

Thursday 27th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

I reassure the noble Lord that it will be very shortly—though how you define “very” in that context is probably open to interpretation. As noble Lords will know, I did go back and press the point, having been told that I could say “very shortly” last time, as to whether that was still the case. On staffing, I do not underestimate how unsettling this would be for staff. I note the noble Lord’s commitment to the Government’s legislation that is being discussed later this afternoon, which is welcome. Staffing is clearly a matter for the paper itself, but we hope that all decisions made in the interim would be in the best interests of both the paper and the staff.

[Lord Brennan of Canton (Lab)]

My Lords, it may come as a surprise to learn that most young people do not get their information from the Daily Telegraph. As we found out recently through TV series and so on, they get a lot of information and misinformation and disinformation online. What steps can we take to ensure that young people have access to accurate information rather than content that fuels division?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

I feel strongly that we owe it to young people to ensure they have access to accurate information rather than content that fuels division. On a cross-party basis, we need to make sure that we do not fuel that division in our discourse. Platforms need to act now. As many noble Lords will be aware, since Monday 17 March this year, platforms have been required to proactively address illegal content and behaviour, much of which disproportionately affects women and girls. This includes harassment, sexual exploitation, stalking, controlling or coercive behaviour, extreme pornography and intimate-image abuse, all of which are matters of concern across your Lordships’ House. This is a matter that all of us should be concerned about.