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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: Costs

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 estimate her Department has made of the cost of supporting Regional Media Forums.

Answer

As part of Amplify: The Local Media Action Plan, the Government is launching a Regional Media Forum, to establish a framework for best practice in engagement between local journalists and the local public services which they scrutinise, identifying any areas for improvement and amplifying existing good practice. Other participants will include local media outlets in the region, together with representatives from local councils, emergency services, health services and the courts.

We are working in partnership with the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) and want this to be a collaborative exercise, as with the rest of the Local Media Action Plan, calling on the expertise and resources of the Combined Authority, as well as of other participants. We do not anticipate substantial costs arising from supporting the Forum.

DCMS will then work with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, HM Courts & Tribunals Service and other national partners to roll out lessons learned from the West of England nationwide, encouraging voluntary adoption of this framework in other strategic authority areas across the country, or otherwise consider whether there is any need to legislate.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
125871
Session
2024-26
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Costs Local press
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk