§ Mr. BoatengTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to reverse the burden of proof in cases of innocent dissemination in defamation cases and when he plans to publish a Bill on this subject.
Mr. John M. TaylorA Bill putting the defence of innocent dissemination of a statutory footing, and making the defence available to a wider category of defendants, is in an advanced state of preparation and a draft will be published very shortly. It is not proposed that the burden of proof should be reversed.