Lord Fowler
Main Page: Lord Fowler (Crossbench - Life peer)
Lord Fowler
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the proposals put forward by a number of newspapers in response to the Leveson inquiry report.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble
My Lords, the Press Standards Board of Finance petitioned the Privy Council Office with a draft royal charter on 30 April. A royal charter of this kind, submitted to the Privy Council, must go through due process. It has been published on the Privy Council website for people to offer views. Thereafter, it will be considered against the criteria published by the Privy Council Office. The Government’s view on the cross-party royal charter has not changed.
Lord Fowler
My Lords, so that we can be absolutely clear about the position, is it that the delay has been purely to allow the Privy Council to consider the newspapers’ alternative proposal for a royal charter but that the Government remain absolutely committed to their own charter, which was approved unanimously by MPs in the other place? Surely the point is that in a democracy it is the will of Parliament that should take precedence over any interest group, however powerful.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble
My Lords, as I mentioned, there will need to be due processes for the Pressbof royal charter to be considered. However, the royal charter published on 18 March continues to have cross- party support, and the support of all party leaders. It was the subject of 21 weeks of discussion and negotiation. The Government believe it would put in place a system of independent self-regulation with a robust system of redress, while protecting the freedom of the press.