All-Party Parliamentary Media Group

The All-Party Parliamentary Media Group is said to exist 'To provide a forum for the discussion of public policy on the media.'

The Group is run by a lobbying firm called the Whitehouse Consultancy which also runs a number of other parliamentary policy discussion groups the aim of which is the get lobbyists and their clients face and schmooze time with politicians and to constrain the policy views that they hear. 'The work of the Media Group', note Whitehouse, 'also gave rise to the now independent Westminster Media Forum which organises regular keynote national seminars on important developments in media policy.' Whitehouse give a potted history of their work for the Group on their website:

The All-Party Parliamentary Media Group was formed in 1992 to be a forum for discussion within Parliament on public policy as it affects the media sector. Its membership is drawn from all political parties and both Houses of Parliament. It meets regularly to receive an address and have a short discussion with key players from the media industry, its regulatory agencies, and Government Ministers. It is an impartial, efficiently run organisation, which provides a useful interface between Parliament, the industry and other key stakeholders.

Note the discussion is between regulatory agencies, ministers and the industry; little role for citizens, or even pressure groups or unions. The story continues:

Our approach was to position the Media Group from the outset as the pre-eminent forum within Parliament for the discussion of public policy on the media. We provide an efficient and professional secretariat that is completely impartial to all party political considerations and all interests within the industry. We organise a programme of regular meetings for the Group as well as a series of policy breakfasts and an Annual Reception attended and addressed by the Secretary of State for Culture Media And Sport. The Chair of the Group is a former journalist and TV presenter and its other officers bring substantial credibility from a wide range of backgrounds in the media and policy-making community.

The claim that it is impartial in relation to party politics and 'all interests' in the industry is laughable given that all citizen interests are excluded from their own description. The story continues with an explanation for their industry funding:

The Media Group is now acknowledged as a leading forum for discussion in Parliament and its work is sponsored, at arms length, by the BBC, Sky, ITV, Channel 4 Television, Time Warner and Walt Disney. It makes a valuable contribution to raising the quality of debate on media policy in Parliament and is greatly valued both by Ministers and by industry.

In the end the 'arms length' relation seems not to matter all that much as both ministers and industry 'greatly value' the group. Perhaps this is tru of ministers, it certainly seems to be true of industry who support the group precisly so they can get 'value' from it.

People

Chair:Austin Mitchell Lord Lipsey Derek Wyatt Don Foster Peter Bottomley Roger Gale John Greenway Lab

20 qualifying members

Austin Mitchell Derek Wyatt Lord Lipsey Lord Bragg Lord Gordon of Strathblane Lord Macdonald of Tradeston Lord Grocott Lord Dubs Chris Bryant Phil Woolas Roger Gale John Greenway Peter Bottomley Sir Nicholas Winterton John Whittingdale David Cameron Damian Green Don Foster Lord McNally Baroness Howe of Idlicote

CONTACT DETAILS FOR CORRESPONDENCE AND GENERAL ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE GROUP

Mr Austin Mitchell MP, House of Commons, London SW1A OAA. Tel: 020 7219 4559

Funding

BENEFITS RECEIVED BY GROUP FROM SOURCES OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT

BBC, BSkyB, Channel 4 TV, Disney Channel and Time Warner remunerate the group's clerk for the secretarial services he provides to the group and meet the costs of its annual reception. OFCOM meets the cost of occasional breakfast meetings of the group.

PAID EMPLOYMENT OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT OF STAFF WHO HOLD A PARLIAMENTARY PASS

The group's clerk, Chris Whitehouse (who does not hold a parliamentary pass) is director of Westminster Forum Projects Ltd, The Whitehouse Consultancy Ltd, and Whitehouse Europe Ltd. According to the Whitehouse Consultancy which does PR/lobbying work for the Group.