PRESS COMPLAINTS COMMISSION

Early day motion 942, tabled 18 February 2008 by Bob Russell (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 33 members.

That this House notes that over the past 10 years the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) has received a total of 28,227 complaints from members of the public; is alarmed that the Commission refused to consider ruling on 25,457 complaints, with just over 90 per cent. rejected on technical grounds without the PCC even investigating the complaint; is concerned that only 2,770 complaints were accepted for investigation, of which 2,322 were then resolved when the newspaper reacted to the PCC's acceptance of the complaint by agreeing to apologise or to publish a clarification; is intrigued that only 448 complaints representing 1.6 per cent. of the total, succeeded in persuading the PCC to make a formal adjudication, of which 251 were subsequently rejected; finds it incredible that only 197 (0.69 per cent.) of the 28,227 complaints sent to the PCC over the past 10 years were upheld by an adjudication; pays tribute to investigative journalist Nick Davies for the recent disclosure of these figures in his book Flat Earth News; and calls on the Government to investigate the working of the Press Complaints Commission in light of the findings by Mr Davies.

Signatures by party: Labour 16, Liberal Democrat 9, DUP 3, Independent 2, Conservative 1, Plaid Cymru 1, Scottish National Party 1.