The government is applying to the Leveson inquiry to get advance access to all written evidence submitted, which could give David Cameron and other ministers the chance to read statements from former spin doctor Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks the former chief executive of News International.

The coalition government has made an official application to be a core participant in the third module of the inquiry into press ethics and an emergency hearing has been scheduled for 2pm this afternoon – just ahead of what is expected to be a difficult week for the Conservatives, with Coulson giving evidence on Thursday and Brooks on Friday.

Core participant status gives those who have it advance copies of all written statements submitted along with attached material – evidence such as the 164 pages of emails written by Frédéric Michel to James Murdoch describing the success or otherwise of his lobbying in favour of the BSkyB takeover by News Corp.

Such participants are also able to apply for material to be redacted, which could have given the culture secretary the chance to propose redactions to the Michel emails. Currently the list of core participants include News International, the Met police, phone-hacking victims and the owners of the Daily Telegraph, Guardian, Daily Mirror and Daily Mail.

The inquiry is expected to hear some of its most controversial evidence shortly, amid suggestions that Brooks has retained her text commnications with Cameron, messages that it has been suggested are as frequent as 12 a day.

Evidence from senior Labour figures, such as Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, is expected in the next few weeks, as well as from Cameron as the Leveson inquiry turns towards module three, which is dealing specifically with the relationship between the press and politicians.

Coulson's testimony next week will be the first time he has spoken publically since quitting Downing Street last January. He was arrested in connection with alleged phone hacking last July.

The application is being made on behalf of the government and not Downing Street, which means all government departments can be copied in on evidence including the Treasury and the Culture departments, both of which have been under fire over their role in Murdoch's £8bn takeover bid for BSkyB last year.

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