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

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the decision of the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on 30 November to issue a Public Interest Intervention Notice regarding the proposed acquisition of the Telegraph Media Group (TMG), what steps are being taken to assess the views of individual employees of TMG and the Spectator Magazine as to the proposed purchase of the publications by Redbird IMI.

The Public Interest Intervention Notice only applies to the anticipated acquisition of Telegraph Media Group. The Notice triggers a requirement for the Competition and Markets Authority to report to the Secretary of State on jurisdictional and competition matters, and for Ofcom to report to her on the specified media public interest considerations. These are the need for accurate presentation of news, and free expression of opinion, in newspapers.

The legislation provides that Ofcom will carry out such investigations as it considers appropriate. Exactly how Ofcom undertakes its role to report to the Secretary of State on the public interest is a matter for Ofcom.