David Cameron and Nick Clegg in dispute over Leveson report The report, which is just under 2,000 pages long, is expected to recommend a new regulatory framework for the media which will require "some statutory involvement." The Liberal Democrats are considering forming a pact with Labour to introduce statutory regulation of the press, amid signs that many Conservatives would refuse to back such legislation. The Prime Minister, who received a copy of Lord Justice Leveson's report yesterday, may now be forced to give MPs a free vote on the recommendations. Maria Miller, the Culture Secretary, is expected to start talks with the Labour Party within hours of the report being published. Yesterday, Mr Cameron told the House of Commons that a "free press is absolutely vital for a healthy democracy." The remark came after a series of Conservative back-bench MPs questioned the Prime Minister over his commitment to maintaining a free press, and was interpreted by some insiders as a signal that Mr Cameron was preparing to rule out statutory regulation of the media in the near term. Several Conservative Cabinet ministers have publicly indicated their support for such a move. There is concern that allowing MPs to set up a system of media regulation would ultimately mean that newspapers would be deterred from investigating politicians or their policies for fear of being penalised. However, Mr Cameron said that the current "status quo" could not continue and newspapers should offer "prominent apologies" to victims and face fines if they made mistakes. This could occur without MPs passing new laws to regulate the press. Newspapers are now under pressure to offer to introduce an independent system of regulation that will meet the Prime Minister's demands.