Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the number of journalists on the sustainability of local media reporting.

We are working to support journalism and local newsrooms to ensure the sustainability of this vital industry.

This includes our new digital markets regime, which will help rebalance the relationship between online platforms and those who rely on them – including local press publishers.

Additionally, our support for the sector has included the delivery of the £2 million Future News Fund; the zero rating of VAT on e-newspapers; the extension of a 2017 business rates relief on local newspaper office space until 2025; the publication of the Online Media Literacy Strategy; and the BBC also supports the sector directly, through the £8m it spends each year on the Local News Partnership, including the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.