Some constituents have contacted me about section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act, and the related issue of 'Leveson incentives'.
I am sure every one of my constituents agrees that free speech underpins our democracy, and I am pleased that the Government has always been clear that it is vitally important to uphold it. As a former journalist I have always voted to uphold this this freedom and the principles that it represents.
The Leveson enquiry made the responsibilities of the press abundantly clear, and I am glad that they are being held to account by the Royal Charter and the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Though these regulators are relatively new, I think it is vital that we carefully watch how they operate and determine whether they are delivering the proper protection to victims of press abuse. Introducing yet another regulator at this time would be premature, and could even make the jobs of the Royal Charter and IPSO even harder.
Rest assured that I will do all I can to ensure that the abuses that have taken place in the past do not happen again, and that those journalists who have always worked ethically and responsibly are not punished for the mistakes of those who have not.