16:26

Matt Hancock’s busy day of media appearances continued with him speaking at a Press Gallery lunch. In a question and answer session, the culture secretary said “the system is not good enough” when asked if he was happy if the Cambridge Analytica stand-off.

He hinted that he would grant the information commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, additional powers by introducing amendments to the data protection bill that would give her additional powers “to go in faster” once an investigation had begun and that the commissioner should be able to force individuals to give testimony.

At present the commissioner’s powers only extend to companies, which means that former employees of Cambridge Analytica can avoid answering questions if they have quit a company under investigation for privacy breaches.

When asked if it was time for the government to stop advertising on Facebook, the minister said “we haven’t gone there yet”. He argued that Facebook remained an effective form of communication despite the scandal.

There was also a none too subtle side swipe against his opposite number Tom Watson, arguing that it was only the shadow culture secretary who “thinks it is a good idea to put Max Mosley in charge of regulating the Jewish Chronicle” - an inaccurate reference to the fact that Mosley’s charitable trust provides arm’s length funding to Impress, the only officially recognised press regulator. “Like most conspiracy theorists, when a real conspiracy theory comes along, he doesn’t take notice,” Hancock said.

Other jokes were less controversial. Hancock said parliamentary business meant that he arrived late to last month’s annual Brit music awards after dinner had been served. The minister said he was sitting on the same table as Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood. Upon hearing of the minister’s hunger, the guitarist searched his bag for “a bit of a pick me up .... which turned out to be a Babybel for one of his daughters”.

