Leveson deal: MPs debate press regulation: live 18.21 Tory MP Sir Roger Gale says he has concerns about how the Royal Charter will work, even though he hopes it will. 18.02 Barry Gardiner, Labour MP, suggests the courts may not be minded to impose exemplary damages on newspapers that refuse to take part in the new regulatory regime. Sir Edward says he agrees that newspapers that don't take part won't necessarily get these higher exemplary damages - it's just something that can be taken into account. 17.59 Sir Edward Garnier, former solicitor general and newspaper lawyer, reckons the plans comes "sensibly and gently down in the middle" 17.47 First response of the newspaper industry: We would like to make it clear that, contrary to reports broadcast by the BBC this morning, no representative of the newspaper and magazine industry had any involvement in, or indeed any knowledge of, the cross-party talks on press regulation that took place on Sunday night. We have only late this afternoon seen the Royal Charter that the political parties have agreed between themselves and, more pertinently, the Recognition Criteria, early drafts of which contained several deeply contentious issues which have not yet been resolved with the industry. In the light of this we are not able to give any response on behalf of the industry to this afternoon's proposals until we have had time to study them. Daily Mail Group News International Newspaper Society Professional Publishers Association Telegraph Media Group 17.40 Peter Lilley, former Tory minister, says "when both benches are agreed we invariably make our worst blunders." He objects to a "sort of ministry of truth" that will be in charge of regulating newspapers. He said he hoped more newspapers and magazines would boycott the regulator. The Spectator is considering this at the moment. Jacob Rees-Mogg, another Conservative MP, claims it is legal nonsense to say future governments will not be able to meddle with press regulation. 17.35 International observers have now piled in with concerns. Dunja Mijatović, of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, said it is worried about the power of a regulator to force newspapers to issue apologies and impose fines. A government-established regulatory body, regardless of how independent it is intended to be, could pose a threat to media freedom. I still believe that self-regulation is the best way to deal with ethical lapses and failures to comply with professional standards. The phone-hacking scandal was a criminal issue and the people involved are being prosecuted. This should not be used as an excuse to rein in all print media. 17.31 Sarah Wollaston says this is "more than just a toenail" in the door endangering freedom of the press. Chris Bryant, a Labour MP, says he agrees with Mr Cameron that it is not a danger. 17.28 Charles Walker, MP for Broxbourne, is not buying the spin about the Leveson deal not being statutory underpinning. To me, that feels very much like statutory regulation and legislation. I know its an unpopular view to hold and I have the greatest sympathy by those who are turned over by the press. But the truth is, more than 50 journalists have been arrested - they face a date in court. The police seem to be getting their act together. 17.22 Dan Hodges, Telegraph blogger, makes an interesting point about the fact the negotiations were conducted in Ed Miliband's office: In case you're interested, the Labour team also ate pizza, chocolate bars, biscuits and fruit salad, sharing their sustenance with Tory representative Oliver Letwin. 17.18 Former journalist Sir Gerald Kaufman is on his feet congratulating "all involved for arriving at the solution put forward today," having opposed statutory regulation of the press. Twitter is more concerned about his unusual tartan suit... 17.00 Tom Watson, Labour MP and campaigner who helped expose phone-hacking, is hailing the deal after five years of battling for more press regulation. For years maybe decades, we collectively looked the other way.... This was the dark hour of parliamentary democracy.... But we can also take heart from having fought back. He wants it to be clear that the watchdog covers publishers for profit and bloggers writing for pleasure. Not everybody's signed up to the melodrama. John Rentoul, columnist at the Independent on Sunday: 16.56 Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP, says she is disappointed that there is nothing to address the "endemic sexism" of the press by making sure there are enough women involved in the watchdog. John Whittingdale, chairman of the media committee, says this cannot be dictated in law. He reiterates his support for the plan, having previously warned statutory regulation would be dangerous. 16.54 However, a band of vocal Tories are still unhappy. 16.49 David Blunkett, former Home Secretary, was the loudest Labour voice warning of dangers of press regulation. He is now fully behind the Royal Charter plans. 16.47 The deputy Prime Minister says the Royal Charter represents the "best possible outcome." 16.42 Nick Clegg notes to laughter that all three parties are claiming a victory. He contradicts the Prime Minister by saying there is statutory underpinning of the press watchdog. 16.37 Ed Miliband is cheered like a hero by the Labour benches as he stands up to thank the PM and echo his sentiments that the deal will protect both a free press and victims of press intrusion. We are doing the right thing. But today politicians have come together to put victims first. 16.35 David Cameron says the new watchdog supports investigative journalism and protects vulnerable potential victims. He ends with a warning to newspapers not to mount any more objections: My message to the press is clear. We've had the debate. Now it is time to get on and make this system work. 16.31 The PM says there will have to be explicit and extensive support for any changes to the press regulator from both houses. 16.30 Lots of Westminster watchers have observed a celebrity at today's debate: 16.29 There will be "up front apologies and million pound fines," the PM says. 16.27 Asked to confirm whether the law will be changed, Mr Cameron says: There are two very important but relatively small legislative changes that need to take place... It is legislation to protect the Royal Charter. It is not legislation to recognise the Royal Charter. 16.22 The PM's language has shifted. He says he had grave reservations about "detailed legislation" on press regulation - not any legislation at all. When Leveson's report was published, Mr Cameron said "statutory underpinning" would be "crossing a Rubicon." Today, he says no Rubicon has been crossed with these proposals. 16.21 Chris Bryant, Labour MP, objects to having a debate on a text that has not been seen properly by MPs yet. John Bercow, the speaker, says the copy of the draft Royal Charter is available now and the debate will now last for up to three hours. 16.17 David Cameron is up in the Commons. He has asked MPs to "take note" of a new Royal Charter on press regulation which is being published this afternoon. It will be submitted for approval to the Privy Council at a meeting in May. The PM asks leave for a debate on press regulation as a matter of urgency. 15.54 Interestingly, John Whittingdale, the chairman of the media select committee, supports the cross-party agreement. He had previously warned that state regulation represented a great threat to newspapers. He told Sky News: I don't think this is [a defeat for David Cameron]. The Prime Minister has made it very clear that he wouldn't have been prepared to accept legislation to establish a regulator, or to have a statute which could have been amended to influence the work of a regulator, those things have been avoided, as he said, the single reference in the bill doesn't actually in any way allow that to be used to influence press regulation, to that extent I think we have managed to avoid statutory underpinning, and the Prime Minister, I think, was also realistic that had he not achieved this agreement, there was a real possibility that he could have been defeated in the House of Commons. 15.24 My colleague James Kirkup points out that the new Royal Charter covers not just newspapers and their websites, but anyone posting on the internet. This could include tweeters and amateur bloggers too. 15.20 Lib Dems are apparently ridiculing the Prime Minister's insistence that there is no "statutory underpinning." It reminds me a little bit of Nick Clegg's refusal to admit there was a Lib Dem change of heart over taxpayer support for nuclear power. He is still insisting there is no subsidy for new nuclear, despite obvious evidence to the contrary. Any more examples of "political u-turn denial"? Tweet me @rowenamason. 15.15 A poll on the Guido Fawkes blog is showing more than 70 per cent think the Leveson deal amounts to "statutory underpinning" - ie new press laws. 15.09 David Cameron has been meeting with Tory MPs over Leveson. Those supporting more press regulation - eg George Eustice, Nadhim Zahawi - in favour but some spoke out against. The BBC's Robin Brant says: 14.39 As an aside, the Index on Censorship is claiming a deal has been done to remove the "back door" attempt at introducing press legislation through the Defamation Bill. Peers had tried to hijack the separate piece of legislation when it looked like the cross-party Leveson talks were at an impasse. This put the Government's support for the whole Defamation Bill under threat but it looks like the legislation will now survive without the Leveson-related amendment. 14.36 PoliticsHome has got a copy of Ed Miliband's letter (£) to the parliamentary Labour Party claiming the Prime Minister "has agreed to all our major demands." That can't be a nice sentence to read for Tories who opposed statutory press regulation. It says there were FIVE major Tory concessions: statutory underpinning to make sure the new system is "enduring" no powers for the press to veto people overseeing the new regulator to ensure independence the regulator will have the power to force newspapers to make apologies and corrections of equal prominence to any misleading news reporting arbitration will be free to all claimants appointments to the body overseeing the regulator will be made by the Commissioner on Public Appointments, instead of the press 14.23 Grant Shapps, the Conservative chairman, has been toeing the line though. He insists on sky News that the PM has pulled off a big victory. He also makes it clear that any newspaper that doesn't sign up to the new regulator will be left exposed. The rules are, under this Royal Charter, under the system that will be set up, the fines will be big, like a million pounds and proper apologies and the rest of it. If you're not in the system it's going to be even bigger still, a lot bigger. It's in everybody's interest to be inside this if you're not you're effectively unprotected and that could drive you out of business. 14.06 Crispin Blunt, a Tory MP, is not backing his leader on the issue of whether the deal amounts to "statutory underpinning" 13.45 It seems the deal has not been completely done. The Prime Minister is meeting Mr Clegg and Mr Miliband at 2pm to discuss how the amendment and Royal Charter will work. Hopefully, they won't all get on to the issue of whether press regulation will actually be underpinned by statute or they might all be in there for a long time. 13.40 A reminder that some newspapers are still atoning for past bad behaviour - the Sun this morning apologised for accessing information on a mobile phone stolen from Siobhain McDonagh, a Labour MP. It paid her substantial damages. Chris Bryant, a Labour shadow Home Office minister, has called for the head of Sun editor Dominic Mohan. 13.25 Quite a few Tory MPs have criticised the deal now. The strongest concerns come from Douglas Carswell, who says it has the makings of disaster.