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Press regulation royal charter not imminent The press's rival regulatory charter has 'shortcomings', says PM
(about 7 hours later)
A royal charter to regulate the press will not be introduced until the autumn at the earliest, the BBC has learnt. A royal charter submitted by newspapers to underpin a new system of self-regulation has "serious shortcomings", Prime Minister David Cameron has said.
Press abuse victims have written to Culture Secretary Maria Miller to demand that a Privy Council meeting next week approves the charter, which has Parliament's backing. During Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Cameron confirmed to MPs that it would nonetheless be formally considered before the government's own plans.
Instead, the meeting will consider a rival proposal put forward by some newspapers. The Privy Council will therefore not decide on the matter until the autumn at the earliest, the BBC understands.
Ministers insist they are following due process to avoid a court battle. Press abuse victims have called for swifter progress.
BBC political editor Nick Robinson said that, next Wednesday, a small group of ministers would travel to Buckingham Palace for a meeting of the Privy Council. They have written to Culture Secretary Maria Miller, demanding that a royal charter promoted by the Conservatives, Lib Dems and Labour is considered next week at a meeting of the Privy Council, the body which administers royal charters.
The body, which advises the Queen, would consider whether to grant a royal charter to a system of newspaper self-regulation, he said. 'Fast footwork'
Crucially, though, it would not be the charter agreed by major party leaders David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg in March. Mr Cameron said: "The legal advice, which we have shared with the leader of the opposition and his deputy, is that we have to take these things in order: we have to take the press's royal charter first and then we have to bring forward the royal charter on which we have all agreed."
Liberal Democrat Lord Wallace, a government spokesman, told Parliament on Monday it was "not appropriate for the Privy Council to consider more than one royal charter at a time on the same issue". The Privy Council is due to meet on 10 July, but will not convene again before the autumn.
But victims of phone hacking would be bitterly disappointed that the meeting will consider separate plans put forward by a majority of newspapers for self-regulation with a lesser role for the state, our political editor said. Liberal Democrat peer Lord Wallace of Saltaire, a government spokesman, told Parliament on Monday it was "not appropriate for the Privy Council to consider more than one royal charter at a time on the same issue".
The Guardian, Financial Times and Independent are the only major newspapers not signed up to the industry's rival charter. The Conservatives' Lord Forsyth asked him to explain how ministers "ended up second in the queue to the privy council on a matter of this importance".
"I suspect that it was the result of some very fast footwork by the press board," Lord Wallace replied.
The Guardian, the Financial Times and the Independent are the only major newspapers not signed up to the industry's rival charter.
Hacking scandalHacking scandal
Ahead of a meeting with Ms Miller, campaign group Hacked Off has written to urge her to defy "a tiny if powerful vested interest".Ahead of a meeting with Ms Miller, campaign group Hacked Off has written to urge her to defy "a tiny if powerful vested interest".
Ministers insist they are not about to back down and approve press proposals but are, instead, following due process to avoid a battle in the courts - even if that makes further delays inevitable.Ministers insist they are not about to back down and approve press proposals but are, instead, following due process to avoid a battle in the courts - even if that makes further delays inevitable.
Government sources told the BBC they remain absolutely committed to implementing the package put forward by Lord Justice Leveson.Government sources told the BBC they remain absolutely committed to implementing the package put forward by Lord Justice Leveson.
"I think the press's royal charter has some serious shortcomings so no, I haven't changed my view," the prime minister said in the Commons.
In November, the landmark Leveson report called for an independent regulatory body to be established to oversee the press, backed by legislation.In November, the landmark Leveson report called for an independent regulatory body to be established to oversee the press, backed by legislation.
That came after the judge headed an 18-month public inquiry set up to investigate press ethics and standards in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal at the now-defunct News of the World newspaper.That came after the judge headed an 18-month public inquiry set up to investigate press ethics and standards in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal at the now-defunct News of the World newspaper.
Mr Cameron, Mr Miliband and Mr Clegg agreed to set up a new watchdog by royal charter with powers to impose million-pound fines on UK publishers and demand upfront apologies from them.Mr Cameron, Mr Miliband and Mr Clegg agreed to set up a new watchdog by royal charter with powers to impose million-pound fines on UK publishers and demand upfront apologies from them.
But the newspaper industry rejected the idea of "state-sponsored regulation".But the newspaper industry rejected the idea of "state-sponsored regulation".
Blocking plan There are a series of key differences between the industry's plan for press regulation and that agreed by politicians and campaigners.
There are a series of key differences between the industry's plan for press regulation for England and Wales and that agreed by politicians and campaigners.
The newspapers' proposal would include the following:The newspapers' proposal would include the following:
Newspaper owners backed down on initial demands to have a veto over the board members of any new press regulator, accepting appointments should instead be made by "consensus".Newspaper owners backed down on initial demands to have a veto over the board members of any new press regulator, accepting appointments should instead be made by "consensus".
Some owners had wanted the power to block those they saw as hostile to the press.Some owners had wanted the power to block those they saw as hostile to the press.