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Local and Regional Newspapers

Volume 496: debated on Monday 20 July 2009

17. To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support his Department plans to provide to local and regional newspapers during the recession. (287453)

The Government have taken action to support local and regional newspapers including a local media summit held in April; a recent OFT review of the media merger rules; an invitation to the audit commission to look at local authority free sheets; Killian Pretty's recommendations on planning and advertising and a commitment in the Digital Britain White Paper to introduce independently funded news consortia which would be broadcast and syndicated more widely across the local and regional news environment.