§ Mr. LetwinTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make it her policy to ensure that, in relation to any takeover of a major national newspaper or media group, the procedures adopted by the regulatory authorities are transparent and impartial and that there is no ministerial involvement. [R] [145244]
§ Mr. Sutcliffe[holding answer 5 January 2004]:My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry published a consultation document on 15 December 2003 seeking views on draft guidance which she proposes to issue on the consideration of media public interest cases under the Enterprise Act 2002 (as amended by the Communications Act 2003). The new regime is substantially deregulatory compared to the old, with a small number of narrowly defined public interest considerations approved by Parliament.
378WIn relation to the newspaper public interest considerations (accurate presentation of news, free expression of opinion and plurality of views), new legislation recognises that, for newspapers, there have historically been a small number of cases that have raised public interest issues beyond those that would have been considered as part of a competition assessment. It therefore allows the Secretary of State to intervene in certain newspaper mergers on these public interest grounds. The draft guidance sets out some indications of the general approach she expects to adopt in deciding whether or not to intervene in a particular newspaper case. However each case will be decided on its own facts.
In relation to the scope of the broadcasting and cross-media public interest considerations, whilst in principle the Secretary of State may intervene on these public interest grounds in any media merger case where these considerations are relevant, the draft guidance notes that as a matter of policy she expects that intervention on these public interest grounds will normally only be considered in those areas where media ownership rules have been removed by the Communications Act.
The assessment of newspaper and other media mergers on competition grounds will be the responsibility of the competition authorities.
379WAll of the procedures for all parts of the process will be transparent and impartial. Copies of the consultation document have been placed in the House Libraries.