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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) cost of newsprint and (b) the impact of those costs on the viability of local newspapers.

The Government is committed to supporting local newspapers as vital pillars of our communities. We are in regular contact with local news publishers to understand the financial pressures they face, and we are mindful of particular concerns about rising newsprint costs.

We will continue to consider all possible options in the interest of promoting and sustaining the sector.