Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Ofcom consultation on a proposed amendment to Rule 5.3 of the Ofcom Broadcasting Code on freedom of speech.

Ofcom is required by legislation to draw up and enforce a Broadcasting Code. This Code must include rules to ensure that broadcast news is reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality. Ofcom must then keep the contents of the Code under regular review. Ofcom, by law, carries out its duties independently of the Government. For this reason, it would not be appropriate for the Department to either assess the impact of, or ask Ofcom to withdraw, its present consultation addressing whether or not to amend rule 5.3; and, for the same reason, the Secretary of State has not discussed this issue with them.