Social media bosses will reportedly be grilled by Parliament as part of a new cross-party inquiry into the dangers of so-called “fake news”. Facebook, Google and Twitter are expected to be called in for questioning by the committee amid fears the prevalence of inaccurate stories is undermining democracy. The Commons Culture Committee is reportedly discussing the launch […]
A bid for funding is set to be made in attempts to try and save a historic seaside lift. The future of the Leas Lift, in Lower Sandgate Road, Folkestone, was uncertain earlier this week when the operating company said it was "calling it a day" due to financial difficulties. The Leas Lift Community Interest […]
As the Minister knows, the Operation Stack relief lorry park is vital for cross-border transport links between Kent and the continent. The owner of Westenhanger castle has been actively seeking a meeting with the Department for the past six weeks to discuss accessing the compensation package that he has agreed with Highways England, in return […]
Just before Christmas, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care in England produced its latest report on the East Kent Hospitals Trust. The Trust is responsible for our main local hospitals, including the William Harvey at Ashford and the Royal Victoria in Folkestone. In 2014 the Trust was put […]
Lord Coe has rebuffed a request from MPs that he give fresh evidence to the culture, media and sport select committee, arguing that he has nothing new to say about his response to an early warning about corruption at the IAAF. The committee issued a call for the IAAF president to appear by the end […]
A Kent MP has joined critics who fear government proposals to force newspapers to pay the costs of people who sue them could weaken the media’s ability to hold those in power to account. Damian Collins, Folkestone and Hythe MP and the chairman of the commons culture, media and sports committee, said the plan could […]
Plans to saddle newspapers with the cost of legal disputes regardless of fault are “wrong in principle” and could play into the hands of ambulance-chasing lawyers, the head of a parliamentary committee has said. Damian Collins, chairman of the culture, media and sport committee, said the proposals should not be implemented as they risked harming […]
Damian Collins MP, the head of the House of Commons culture media and sport committee, has called upon Team Sky to give more detailed information about their use of the antioxidant and mucolytic Fluimucil, the substance that is said to have been in the package delivered to the team’s then doctor Richard Freeman at the […]
Over the past six years I have been involved with a number of issues, both as an MP and as chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport select committee, involving corruption in sport. In many of these scandals it has been investigative journalists who first brought the issue into the light. Often journalists have provided […]
Firstly, I would like to wish all readers a Happy New Year, and best wishes for the next twelve months. If 2016 was a year of debate and decision, then 2017 has to be the year of getting on with the job. In March we will formally start the process of leaving the European […]