Good point made by Cameron - he won the Conservative Party leadership without the support of the newspapers. What was it that helped him win it...? TV!

The inquiry hears how, during his time in opposition, Cameron met Rupert Murdoch 10 times, James Murdoch 15 times and Rebekah Brooks 19 times.

The inquiry then asks Cameron about about his Santorini visit with Matthew Freud, Rebekah Brooks and various Murdochs.

"My memory was that this was drinks, then a dinner... Rupert Murdoch was there, yes," he says.

And we're back in the room

Robert Jay says "Mr Murdoch's list [of meetings] doesn't quite match yours."

The PM says the Santorini trip was Matthew Freud's idea. Cameron adds that at the time he was due to go to Georgia, and going to the Greek island instead seemed like a good opportunity to get to know Rupert Murdoch better.

Cameron: "Obviously I was trying to win the support of his newspapers … It was a long way to go and all that, but it just seemed a good opportunity."

Cameron says James Murdoch assured the Sun was going to support the Conservatives in September '09 around time of Labour conference #Leveson

#cameron on fred michel - "i've read a lot of texts. well, i have now..." #leveson

Cameron says he doesn't recall any discussion of the BBC or Ofcom at the meeting, instead they talked about the "big economic picture".

Cameron says he had his work cut out to win over The Sun because both Rebekah Brooks and Rupert Murdoch were both good friends of Gordon Brown.

Jay is giving Cameron quite the grilling about his friendships with Brooks, Freud and the like. The PM is asked whether he spoke to Brooks on a weekly basis between 2008, 2009.

"The level of contact went up and we saw each other socially more," he says, because this is when Brooks moved to Chipping Norton.

how often did #cameron see rebekah in 2008/9? i don't think every weekend, i don't think most weekends. i'd have to check

Jay turns to text messages from Brooks. On the eve of Cameron's Tory conference speech in October 2009, Brooks wrote to Cameron: "But seriously I do understand the issue with the Times, let's discuss over country supper soon... I am so rooting for you, not just as a personal friend but because profesionally we are in this together. Speech of your life? Yes he Cam!"

No 'nods and winks' agreements of policy in exchange for media support #Leveson #Cameron

The "Yes we Cam!" slogan used by Brooks in her text message to Cameron on the eve of his conference speech also appeared in a subsequent issue of the Sun - www.thesun.co.uk (via @j_freedland on Twitter).

Alistair Campbell's (Tony Blair's Director of Communications and Strategy) role was more political than Andy Coulson's, Cameron says.

#cameron asks: how do you defend yourself against accusations of 'nod and a wink' deals when there's no evidence of an agreement? #leveson

Cameron says he obtained assurances over Andy Coulson over phone hacking in 2007.

Cameron adds that he asked Coulson about phone hacking in a meeting between the two. "I remember it was very important that I ask him that question," he says.

Cameron: "What I assessed was that this was clearly a controversial appointment, and controversial for two reasons. One was that bad things happened at the NoW while he was editor and he resigned. T
he second reason there was controversy is that this was a tabloid editor."

Asked why Coulson deserved a second chance, Cameron says, given the assurances and the fact that Coulson did the decent thing by quitting his job at the News of the World following a phone-hacking scandal, he felt he was the right man for the job.

Coulson's contacts and knowledge of industry were important, Cameron adds, but the most important thing was he would be good at the job. Cameron wasn't just after anyone from News International or the Mail, he wanted someone who could stand up to the press, this was his main concern, and this is why Coulson got the job.

Cameron on Coulson: "If someone had given me evidence that he knew about phone hacking I wouldn't have employed him and I would have fired him."

so, lunchtime #leveson. #cameron repeated what he said before about giving coulson a second chance, and that he'd sought and got assurances