Leveson Inquiry

William Bain Excerpts

Thursday 29th November 2012 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

Well, we certainly have got a long way to the truth about the DCMS in this report, and I hope that colleagues will look at that very closely.

[Mr William Bain (Glasgow North East) (Lab)]

The Prime Minister will recall that my constituents the Watson family gave evidence to the inquiry that they have had their lives devastated for the past 21 years by grossly inaccurate reporting of the murder of their daughter Diane, reports that led to their son taking his own life. Do not they and the other victims deserve us, as parliamentarians, to put in place a powerful independent regulator whose role and functions are underpinned by statute?

[The Prime Minister]

I think that they, as all victims do, deserve a really tough, independent regulatory system that can really hold the press to account, that can fine those editors, that can call them to account, that can insist on proper apologies and that can take up complainants’ cases and deal with them properly. That is the absolute key. Of course there is a debate to be had about statutory underpinning, yes or no. But the real debate is: is this regulatory body going to be powerful enough to get to the truth and do what needs to be done?