Mohammad Yasin

It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Allin-Khan. The future of local news in the UK stands at a critical crossroads. I recently heard from the editors of two Bedford publications: the Bedford Independent, an online locally owned newsroom, and the Times & Citizen, with its digital platform Bedford Today, owned by National World. Both are concerned about proposals in the national licensing policy framework, which they fear will limit their ability to inform the public about decisions that affect their lives. One proposal would remove the requirement to advertise new or varied premises licences in local newspapers. Public notices are often the only way that residents learn about licensing changes, redevelopment plans or proposals that could alter their communities. I recognise the Government’s rationale for reviewing an outdated and sometimes cumbersome system. Modernisation, digital accessibility and simplification are worthy aims, and innovations such as the Public Notice Portal show how publishers can use digital tools to strengthen engagement. But reform must not come at the expense of local journalism. Local newsrooms already operate in a tight fiscal environment. Public notices provide modest but vital revenue and the content for public-interest reporting. Removing them without a viable alternative risks undermining local democracy. That is especially acute for independent publishers like the Bedford Independent. With one full-time journalist and two part-time co-founders, as well as volunteers, it provides daily, regulated reporting that fills the gaps left by large corporations. Yet it remains excluded from public notices, overlooked for Government advertising and disadvantaged by algorithms that favour national outlets. Nearly half of the UK’s districts now have two or fewer local news outlets. As the Department for Culture, Media and Sport develops its local media strategy, I urge the Government to safeguard the financial and civic functions of local journalism. Levelling the playing field is essential to sustaining informed communities and a healthy local democracy.