Government Communications: X

Lord Naseby Excerpts

Monday 5th January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

And there I was, going to wish the noble Lord a happy new year and thank him for taking me on my first tour of this building. This Government prioritise Statements in your Lordships’ House. The noble Lord will be aware that that is not a government department I actively engage with, but I shall ensure that my colleagues respond directly to him. I am sure that this will not be the last time we discuss this issue in your Lordships’ House.

[Lord Naseby (Con)]

As someone who was formerly responsible for the standby agency—one of our major advertising agencies—and other advertising, I ask whether the Minister realises, as I am sure she does, that while social media is fundamental to anybody who wants to communicate, a significant number of government communications must nevertheless think about coverage in other forms of media. That is fundamental for basic communication.

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

The noble Lord raises a very important issue. The reality is that, when we undertook the emergency alert last year, 92% of people were reached via social media, meaning that 8% of the population were not touched by social media. So, physical paper—I am a very big fan of the traditional political leaflet—which means newspapers as well as other traditional media, remains a key part of our communication strategy, as it should.