Disclosure of Media Contacts
Leveson Inquiry · An Inquiry into the Culture, Practices and Ethics of the Press · Issued 29 November 2012 · Addressed to: Politicians
Government responsePrime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street: Accepted (Nov 2012)
DeliveryDepartment for Culture, Media and Sport says partially delivered (Jul 2013)
Recommendation, verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
Party Leaders, Ministers and Front Bench Opposition spokesmen should consider publishing: (a) the simple fact of long term relationships with media proprietors, newspaper editors or senior executives which might be thought to be relevant to their responsibilities and, (b) on a quarterly basis: i. details of all meetings with media proprietors, newspaper editors or senior executives, whether in person or through agents on either side, and the fact and general nature of any discussion of media policy issues at those meetings; and ii. a fair and reasonably complete picture, by way of general estimate only, of the frequency or density of other interaction (including correspondence, phone, text and email) but not necessarily including content.
Leveson Inquiry, An Inquiry into the Culture, Practices and Ethics of the Press · 29 Nov 2012 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
AI-generated evidence summary
The Inquiry asked politicians to publish relevant relationships and regular details of media contacts. In July 2013, Ed Vaizey, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, stated in a written answer that the government publishes details of meetings held by ministers and special advisers with editors, proprietors, and senior media executives, but did not mention long-term relationships, interaction frequency, or opposition spokespersons (Ed Vaizey, Jul 2013). In November 2012, David Cameron, Prime Minister, had stated to the House of Commons that the government accepted the recommendation (David Cameron response, Nov 2012).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 1 Oct 2026.
About this summary
Report-level response context
Government response
●Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street · Accepted · 29 Nov 2012
I made that point last summer when I set up the inquiry, and at the same time I set in train reforms to improve transparency. We are the first Government ever to publish details of meetings between senior politicians and proprietors, editors or senior executives, as Lord Justice Leveson recommends in his report. He also recommends disclosing further information on the overall level of interaction between politicians and the press. That would apply to all parties, and on the Government’s behalf I can say that we accept the recommendation.
Response document: Leveson Inquiry (House of Commons statement)
Delivery
●Department for Culture, Media and Sport says partially delivered · 2 Jul 2013
On the relationship between the press and politicians, as recommended by Lord Justice Leveson, the Government publish details of meetings held by Ministers and/or special advisers with editors, proprietors and senior media executives.
From: Culture, Practices and Ethics of the Press Inquiry (Commons written answer), Ed Vaizey, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
How this page is built
The recommendation and the government responses are verbatim from primary documents. Delivery statements and other bodies' findings are shown in their own words, each with its source. The summary is written by this site and labelled as such. The Index does not paraphrase sources or characterise intent; it records what has been published.