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Written question asked by James McMurdock (Independent (affiliation)) on Friday, 10 April 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 14 April 2026. It was answered by Ian Murray (Labour) on Monday, 20 April 2026 on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Local Press: Essex

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, what proportion of the funding announced will be allocated to (a) Essex and (b) South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

Answer

As part of Amplify: The Local Media Action Plan, the Government is launching a Local News Fund worth £6m in 2026/27 and up to a further £6m in 2027/28, to help ensure the long term provision of local news. Local media faces a complex range of challenges, and funding represents just one aspect of our approach. It will help the industry adapt in the short-medium term, before longer term measures set out in the Plan begin to take effect in helping enable a free, plural and thriving online local media ecosystem.

Funding will be distributed to local media outlets in print, online, radio or television, according to the outcomes of a competitive bidding process. Prospective bidders will need to meet specific qualifying criteria, central to which will be that the provision of local news is a primary purpose of the organisation.

Funding decisions will be supported by an independent Steering Board of external industry experts, to ensure a degree of independence in government decisions about funding media outlets. In accordance with the Government’s wider support for freedom and plurality of local media, we will not be linking grant awards to the provision of certain types of coverage or political impartiality.

Further detail on the Fund will be announced in the coming weeks.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
125869
Session
2024-26
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Finance Essex Local press
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk