Annual Report Requirements

In volume IV of the report, Lord Justice Leveson sets out proposals for independent self-regulation organised by the media. He details the key “requirements” that an independent self-regulatory body should meet, including independence of appointments and funding, a standards code, an arbitration service, and a speedy complaint-handling mechanism. Crucially, it must have the power to demand up-front, prominent apologies and impose up to million-pound fines. These are the Leveson principles. They are the central recommendations of the report. If they can be put in place, we truly will have a regulatory system that delivers public confidence, justice for the victims, and a step change in the way the press is regulated in our country. I accept these principles, and I hope that the whole House will come in behind them. The onus should now be on the press to implement them—and implement them radically.

No statement on delivery from Press has been found in the sources searched. This is separate from the response above.

21. The Board should publish an Annual Report identifying: a) the body’s subscribers, identifying any significant changes in subscriber numbers; b) the number of: (i) complaints it has handled, making clear how many of them are multiple complaints, (ii) articles in respect of which it has considered complaints to be without merit, and (iii) articles in respect of which it has considered complaints to be with merit, and the outcomes reached, in aggregate for all subscribers and individually in relation to each subscriber; c) a summary of any investigations carried out and the result of them; d) a report on the adequacy and effectiveness of compliance processes and procedures adopted by subscribers; and e) information about the extent to which the arbitration service has been used.