The independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) is part of the strengthened system of independent, self regulation of the press which has developed since the publication of the Leveson Report. IPSO has been subject to external review, and found to have made important achievements in demonstrating itself to be an independent and effective regulator.

The most recent EU Commission publication of Value Added Tax (VAT) rates applied in Member States notes that, as of 1 January 2019, 5 Member States applied a reduced rate of VAT to e-publications.

The Government keeps all taxes under review, including VAT.

Any amendments to the VAT regime as it applies to physical publications and e-publications must be carefully assessed against policy, economic and fiscal considerations. Any representations on this issue will be considered as part of the fiscal events process.

This was an open hearing, accessible to both the press and public.

Extra chairs were laid out to accommodate as many people as possible in the court room. As is usual in high-profile cases, a ticketing system was in place to allocate seats to the media.

There were, however, more people wishing to observe the hearing than there were seats available, meaning that not everyone could be accommodated on this occasion.

The arrangements for the admission of the public and the press to a court vary by the jurisdiction of that court, and by the nature of the application being considered. Where a court is under a duty to sit in open court, it has an inherent jurisdiction to sit in private but only if ordered by the presiding judge or magistrates. A court, to which the press or public must be admitted, will not sit in private without a judicial direction. The ability of the court to admit the public and the press may be limited by the physical constraints of the courtroom.

Both Houses and the Scottish Parliament organise their communications/press and public relations functions in different ways which makes it hard to compare figures directly. Consequently, the figures below simply compare the number of FTEs employed predominantly on dealing with press/media.

These figures do not include staff employed by either House or the Scottish Parliament on marketing, digital communications, public information, visitor services, education and engagement all of which contribute to their work on public relations. We do not hold these figures in respect of the House of Commons and Scottish Parliament.

No assessment has been made of how these figures compare with each other.

Value Added Tax (VAT) generates over £120 billion each year for our vital public services. With this in mind, any amendments to the VAT regime as it applies to physical and digital publications must be carefully assessed against policy, economic and fiscal considerations.

HM Treasury officials have discussed EU Directive 2006/112 in the usual UK and EU fora. In respect of EU legislative changes relating to physical and digital publications, HM Treasury has received representations from the industry and discussed the matter at official level with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Under EU law, a standard rate of VAT must be applied to e-publications. Although Member States are discussing a legislative proposal to allow the same VAT rate to apply to e-publications as apply to physical publications, this is yet to be agreed.

HMCTS has in the last six months hosted a series of events focused on engaging the legal profession on the wider courts and tribunals reform programme.

The event on 24 May 2018 was held at the London headquarters of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. In line with previous events, HMCTS used a range of communication channels to issue an invitation to legal professionals to register their interest in attending by reserving a place using an online event organiser booking system.

The event was organised for legal professionals only and not intended for others, including from the media or the public. Four people who registered to attend were refused a place as a result. In addition, 29 legal professionals who wanted to attend were refused a place because they registered after the number of confirmed places reached the venue’s maximum capacity of 90 people.

The event was, however, broadcast online by live stream and all those who did not receive a place, including the media, were informed that they could follow the event in full this way and submit any questions online. The event can be viewed on GOV.UK, the page includes a presentation by HMCTS Chief Executive Officer Susan Acland-Hood and the Q&A session.

The UK has repeatedly made clear to Israel our longstanding concerns about the manner in which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) police non-violent protests and the border areas, including use of live ammunition. The Foreign Secretary raised the high number of casualties with Prime Minister Netanyahu on 16 May. We call directly on Israel to make clear its intentions and to carry out what must be a transparent inquiry into the IDF's conduct at the border fence, including demonstrating how this will achieve a sufficient level of independence.

Ministerial meetings with colleagues/MPs are not normally detailed.

We have amended the Data Protection Bill to place a requirement on the Information Commissioner to conduct a statutory review of the media’s compliance with the new data protection legislation over the next four years. The Commissioner's final report must include specific consideration of the extent of compliance in each part of the United Kingdom. Alongside that review, we propose to have a named person review journalistic compliance with data protection rules in Northern Ireland in four years' time. This approach, details of which will be finalised in due course, reflects the fact that while data protection is reserved, press regulation is devolved

Ministerial meetings with colleagues/MPs are not normally detailed.

We have amended the Data Protection Bill to place a requirement on the Information Commissioner to conduct a statutory review of the media’s compliance with the new data protection legislation over the next four years. The Commissioner's final report must include specific consideration of the extent of compliance in each part of the United Kingdom. Alongside that review, we propose to have a named person review journalistic compliance with data protection rules in Northern Ireland in four years' time. This approach, details of which will be finalised in due course, reflects the fact that while data protection is reserved, press regulation is devolved

Ministerial meetings with colleagues/MPs are not normally detailed.

We have amended the Data Protection Bill to place a requirement on the Information Commissioner to conduct a statutory review of the media’s compliance with the new data protection legislation over the next four years. The Commissioner's final report must include specific consideration of the extent of compliance in each part of the United Kingdom. Alongside that review, we propose to have a named person review journalistic compliance with data protection rules in Northern Ireland in four years' time. This approach, details of which will be finalised in due course, reflects the fact that while data protection is reserved, press regulation is devolved