Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to provide support to (a) local newspapers and (b) community magazines during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government recognises the important role that media organisations, including newspapers, play at a national and local level in ensuring the provision of trusted, high quality information.

On 30 April the Government announced that the Cabinet Office would spend up to £35m from April to June to place Covid-19 public health messages in local and national newspapers. This advertising partnership with UK media titles leverages the familiar voices of over 600 national, regional and local titles across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Cabinet Office is consistently tracking and reviewing spending on the campaign to ensure efficiency and that the appropriate communications strategy is implemented.

In response to the coronavirus outbreak, the Government has also brought forward the introduction of the zero rate of VAT on e-publications to 1 May 2020, seven months ahead of schedule. This measure will help to reduce the cost of access to online publications.