That this House condemns the decision of Midland Newspapers, owned by Reed International, announced on Wednesday 12th February, to derecognise the print union GPMU and the National Union of Journalists at the Birmingham Metro News, Worcester Evening News, Hereford Times, Redditch Advertiser, Bromsgrove Advertiser, Stourbridge News, Dudley News, Halesowen News, Wolverhampton Adnews, Chase Post, Worcester Journal, Malvern Gazette, Evesham Journal, Ledbury Reporter, Alcester Chronicle, Droitwich Advertiser, Cotswold Journal, Ludlow Advertiser, Tenbury Wells Advertiser, Evesham Admag and Stratford Journal; is dismayed at management's insistence that there be no collective bargaining over pay, and that working hours could be arbitrarily altered; recognises that this is but the latest attack on unions in the print industry and is a clear withdrawal of human rights; and fully supports the campaign of the NUJ to encourage fellow trades unionists to tell the company they no longer want these papers, most of which are free, delivered.

That this House condemns the decision of Midland Newspapers, owned by Reed International, announced on Wednesday 12th February, to derecognise the print union GPMU and the National Union of Journalists at the Birmingham Metro News, Worcester Evening News, Hereford Times, Redditch Advertiser, Bromsgrove Advertiser, Stourbridge News, Dudley News, Halesowen News,...

That this House views with serious concern the charges which Independent Television Publications Limited intends to impose on small local newspapers for the right to publish details of television programmes; believes that Parliament was not aware, when passing the Broadcasting Act, that programme schedules previously supplied by both ITP and the BBC free of charge would now be supplied only on payment of such exorbitant fees as ??56,000 per annum from such small group newspapers as the Rochdale Observer; considers such charges to be unreasonable; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to examine this matter, and in particular whether Reed International, a dominant company in the newspaper industry, should be allowed to acquire ITP Limited, and whether charges now being imposed on small local newspapers will also be imposed on newspapers owned by Reed International plc.

That this House views with serious concern the charges which Independent Television Publications Limited intends to impose on small local newspapers for the right to publish details of television programmes; believes that Parliament was not aware, when passing the Broadcasting Act, that programme schedules previously supplied by both ITP and...