(12 years, 7 months ago)
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The hon. Lady is right. I intend to mention local accountability later.
I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this important debate and for kindly giving way. In Harlow, we have gone down from three local newspapers to one in the past few years. Unlike the BBC, which has the licence fee, local newspapers do not have a compulsory subsidy. Does my hon. Friend agree that it would be fair for the Government to continue to put transport and traffic notices in local newspapers to ensure that they survive?
I agree. Later, I will mention substantively the remedy for falling circulation and the lack of a good business model for local newspapers.