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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on what dates the industry working group established to support development of the local media strategy has met to date, and what the planned timescale is for its next meeting.

The Government is developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of local journalism. Our vision is a thriving local media that can continue to play an invaluable role as a key channel of trustworthy information at local level, reporting on the issues that matter to communities, reflecting their contributions and perspectives, and helping to foster a self-confident nation in which everyone feels that their contribution is part of an inclusive national story.

Following a roundtable between ministers and local news editors in the Spring to discuss our planned approach to the Strategy, an industry working group was established to consider the issues in more detail and explore areas for collaboration. The group has met so far on six occasions, on the following dates:

• 5th June 2025

• 25th June 2025

• 10th July 2025

• 24th July 2025

• 2nd September 2025

• 16th October 2025

At least one more meeting of the group is intended in 2026 before the Strategy is published.