A senior minister has assured MPs that the Government will not “quietly bury” Lord Justice Leveon’s report into press standards.
Angela Eagle, shadow leader of the House of Commons, claimed Cabinet ministers had been “publicly undermining” the inquiry ahead of Leveson’s report due out later this month.
“While some Ministers might want to, this report should not be quietly buried by the Government,” she told he leader of the House of Commons, Andrew Lansley.
She urged the Government to set out before publication the process for consideration of the report, adding that there was “no need to wait until Lord Justice Leveson has reported to let us know about this process”.
“There should be an opportunity for this House to debate the report in Government time, so may we have a statement from the Culture Secretary on the approach that the Government intend to take?”
Lansley said he had no intention of asking the Culture Secretary to make a statement before Leveson reports.
“Let us put substance before process, shall we?” he replied. “Let us wait to find out what Lord Leveson has to say.”
Lansley insisted there was “no prospect of its being quietly buried”, adding: “The Government will respond, and the House will have a chance to discuss Lord Leveson’s conclusions after they have been reported.”
It comes as forty-two Conservative MPs and two Tory peers have signed a letter giving their support to the establishment of a new statutory press regulator.
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