Government agrees not to request Leveson evidence redactions

The Cabinet agreed yesterday that Ministers will not exercise the right to request redactions of evidence submitted to the Leveson inquiry.

Yesterday Full Fact, the Media Standards Trust, Index on Censorship and English Pen made an urgent application to the Leveson Inquiry for transparency regarding Government ministers' new status as 'core participants' in the Inquiry.

We asked for transparency over access to confidential Inquiry material and government redaction requests, and to keep politically-appointed Special Advisers out of the process.

A few hours later a spokesman for No 10 told the Times: "We will not be making any requests to redact material." He said the decision not to seek redactions applied to the whole of the Government, not only No 10.

The application was considered this morning by Lord Justice Leveson and he decided not to make the directions we asked for. We will be studying his reasons when the transcript is available.

However, he did emphasise his respect for Full Fact and the other applicants and his willingness to publicise attempted abuses of the redactions process by core participants. He also reemphasised his commitment to transparency.

Full Fact shares his view that transparency is vital to trust in the Inquiry's eventual recommendations and are pleased to have played our part in enabling these significant issues to be fully considered in public.

Our focus now returns to helping to make sure the Inquiry produces the best possible recommendations for the future of press regulation and relations between politicians and the press.