The Commissioner for Public Appointments Sir David Normington has revealed he is expecting to receive a minister’s letter “shortly” which will start the process of creating a press regulation Recognition Panel.

This is the body which will decide whether or not any new press regulator meets the criteria set out in the Royal Charter for the self regulation of the press which granted by the Government on 30 October.

Any regulator which does meet the specification of the Royal Charter will also fail to protect its members from the threat of punitive damages in civil legal actions under the Crime and Courts Act.