Statement on proposed undertakings by News UK in respect of The Times and Sunday Times
Statement on proposed undertakings to replace conditions attached to the then Secretary of State for Trade’s consent to the transfer of The Times and The Sunday Times
On 10 January 2019 News UK submitted an application to DCMS requesting that the Secretary of State accept proposed undertakings in place of conditions put in place in 1981.
The proposals seek to vary the sections of the 1981 conditions which require that ultimate control over the resources, including journalists, available to The Times and The Sunday Times are kept separate.
The changes requested by News UK would permit a greater sharing of resources and services, including journalists, between the two papers. News UK believes that such sharing is a necessary step to mitigate the financial challenges that the two titles will face in the future.
The application will now be considered by the Secretary of State in a quasi judicial manner through a fair and transparent process. The Secretary of State has today published details on the process including details on how to comment on the application, available here.
A Written Ministerial Statement will be laid in the House on Monday 21 January 2019.