Ministers refuse to name companies that lobbied them over foreign ownership of UK newspapers | Newspapers

Ministers are refusing to name the media companies that lobbied them over laws restricting foreign state ownership of British newspapers, the Guardian can reveal.

The government announced last month it was tripling the proportion of a British newspaper that could be owned by an overseas power to 15%. The change paves the way for the Telegraph to be bought by a consortium including an investment vehicle backed by the United Arab Emirates.

However, ministers have taken the unusual step of ordering secrecy over the names of four media companies who responded to a consultation on the issue. A crossbench group of peers scrutinising the proposed law change said they had been told not to reveal the companies involved.

The group, which includes Labour peers, said: “We were asked by the…