Coalition Commitments on Council Newspapers, FoI, Libel and the BBC

The Government has today published The Coalition: Our Programme for Government. Some potentially helpful key commitments in the document include:

• Extend Freedom of Information legislation.
• Review libel laws to protect freedom of speech.
• Impose tougher rules to stop unfair competition by local authority newspapers.
• National Audit Office greater powers over BBC finances.
• Partnerships between local newspapers, radio and television stations to promote a strong and diverse local media industry.

The NS is beginning to meet civil servants and set up ministerial and other meetings, in particular, on local authority newspapers, policies relating to the BBC and BBC Trust, and ensuring the changes proposed to conditional fees in libel cases are finally approved.

For further information please contact Lynne Anderson on 020 7632 7421 or e-mail lynne_anderson@newspapersoc.org.uk.