The first section of today’s HOC Culture, Media & Sport Committee session on ‘Dealing With Complaints Against The Press’ featured two witnesses from the Press Complaints Commission: Lord Hunt of Wirral MBE, Chair, and Michael McManus, Executive Directior (Transition).

The highlights of a heated session - which you can view here - were:- The PCC was criticised for failing to publish a ‘league table’ of the worst and least offending newspaper titles during the last 12 months, with the Committee concerned that statistics about press complaints were not available in an easily digestible public format. The witnesses said that any member of the public who wanted that information could do the analysis themselves. even though it takes several hours.- Lord Hunt confirmed that the same complaints staff working at the PCC could subsequently go on to work at IPSO.- There were audible gasps from MPs as it was revealed that Lord Hunt earned £180,000 per annum for a three-day week as Chair of the PCC that had been in ‘transition’ for at least two years – paid for by the industry body - the Press Board of Finance. Lord Hunt refused to rule himself out of the running for the Chair of IPSO position. Several MPs on the committee – including Leveson critic, Tory MP Conor Burns – asked how the public would trust a new regulator with the same staff and leadership as the old discredited PCC.- Despite claiming that he had rebutted “on many occasions” the Media Standards Trust analysis published in November 2013 showing that IPSO failed to meet the recommendations of Lord Justice Leveson, Lord Hunt was unable to point to any published, public rebuttal available for public scrutiny. He claimed he had corresponded with the MST, which was rebutted to MP John Leech – by text. Lord Hunt also stated several times that the MST analysis compared IPSO to the Royal charter when in fact the MST analysis is clearly a comparison with Leveson.- The PCC Chair stated several times that Leveson’s system did not include recommendations that a self-regulator seek recognition from the independent Recognition Panel. He was accused by Ben Bradshaw MP of ignoring several of Leveson's recommendations and seeking to conflate the possible need for Ofcom as a "back-stop regulator", which Leveson said he hoped would not be necessary, with the need for a recognition process established by statute.- Some members of the Committee were concerned that the IPSO appointments process was “utterly non-compliant” with Leveson’s recommendations – by not having a substantial independent majority and allowing "industry representatives" a veto.