Trusted voices: CMS Committee publishes Government response to report

4 November 2024

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee publishes the Government response to the report from the committee in the last Parliament on trusted voices.

The report, published in April, followed an inquiry into the role of the media, Government and public institutions in acting as and supporting authoritative and trusted sources of information.

The response says that the Government broadly agrees with the report and sets out a range of legislative and non-legislative actions to address the spread of misinformation and disinformation.

On specific recommendations from the previous committee, the response says that the Government is committed to continuing to support and encourage government scientists in engaging effectively with the media and sets out planned changes to improve the experience of users of gov.uk. The Government also says it looks forward to working with Ofcom as it implements its recently published Media Literacy Strategy.

The Government however rejects the call for the Government to be involved in setting objectives and benchmarks for the National Academies, arguing that it would hinder their independence. However, following the report’s recommendation, the Government says it will strengthen its monitoring and evaluation of the DSIT funded parts of the National Academies’ public engagement, and engage in dialogue with them about how public funding can positively contribute towards their role in the public information landscape.

Chair of the CMS Committee, Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, said:

“The problem of the spread of misinformation and disinformation is not going away, so it’s more important than ever that the public has access to accurate and authoritative information. Publicly-funded institutions, such as the National Academies, must be at the forefront of this mission.

I hope the new Government can build on the consensus and findings of the last committee as it looks to promote trusted voices and combat the harm that false information can cause to society.”

Further information

Image credit: House of Commons