My Lords, I am one of those who backed the amendment of the noble Baroness, Lady Hollins, and I want to intervene briefly to make a point about the beast with which we are dealing. I refer noble Lords to the piece in today’s Times—a newspaper at which, incidentally, 25 years ago I was deputy to the editor. The headline reads:
“Peers hijack data bill to attack free press through back door”.
In today’s Times, evidently, the facts are free but comment is sacred.
5.45 pm
There is a ruthlessness about the present press campaign which has its effect on people of the highest integrity and intelligence. I heard the remarks of the noble Viscount, Lord Hailsham, about what a wonderful organisation IPSO is. I wonder whether he has studied the Media Standards Trust critique which shows how few of the Leveson criteria that body matches up to.
I stand only to say that, when noble Lords go through the Lobbies tonight, they will have to decide which side they are on—the kind of deep and rational debate that takes place in this House or the kind of debate that thinks that,
“Peers hijack data bill to attack free press through back door”,
is a contribution to public discussion and argument.