Maurice Hayes (Independent)

I must make a series of declarations of interest. I am a director of Independent News and Media, a writer and have acted as a facilitator to a steering group which was developing proposals for a press council and ombudsman. I support the Minister's arguments for retaining the words "in particular". I was visited with the threat of libel over a book I wrote. In it, I contrasted the attitude of parliamentary clerks to departmental civil servants. To my horror, I received solicitor's letters from one particular person who claimed there were only ten people in this class in Northern Ireland, two of whom are dead and, therefore, the person in question was libelled. He made much money on it. If I had been able to plead particularity it would have covered that situation. It is a sensible word to keep in the section.