04 Dec 2002 |

Tories Warn Ofcom May Jeopardise Press Freedom

The Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, John Whittingdale, has launched an attack on the new Communications Bill, claiming it may “introduce statutory regulation of newspapers through the back door.”

Speaking at the second reading of the Bill in Parliament yesterday, Whittingdale commented: “This Bill, far from protecting press freedom, does quite the opposite. It may be the law of unintended consequences. Or it may be something far more cynical. At the moment the press is not responsible to any of those statutory bodies that is going to make up Ofcom.”

He added: “Ofcom will be an amalgamation of state regulators that deal with electronic communications and have no knowledge or experience of the newspaper industry. Yet, under the Bill, it is intended that Ofcom will be given a say in public interest matters affecting newspapers as well as considerations of plurality in newspaper transfer issues.”

Whittingdale, who has been an outspoken critic of the Bill, called on the Government to make it clear that Ofcom will have no jurisdiction over the newspaper industry. He commented: “These are issues on which Ofcom lacks expertise, where its role is already carried out by the OFT and which may have the consequence of introducing statutory regulation in newspapers. Unforeseen consequence or not, it must not be allowed to occur.”

The attack follows a comment in the Daily Mail which warned that Ofcom had “extremely dangerous potential.” The paper called on the British Press to: “Wake up and take note of the insidious implications of this Bill.”

The Newspaper Society has also criticised the Communications Bill, claiming that its proposals on newspaper mergers will increase the regulatory burden on the regional and local press (see Newspaper Society Levels Further Criticism At Draft Bill).

Conservative Party: 020 7984 8100 www.conservatives.com

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