diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/components/_published-dates.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/components/_published-dates.scss
index 3187e1e55..cd881caa0 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/components/_published-dates.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/components/_published-dates.scss
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@
   @include govuk-font(16, $weight: bold);
 }
 
+.app-c-published-dates__change-note {
+  white-space: pre-line;
+}
+
 .app-c-published-dates--history {
   padding-top: govuk-spacing(2);
   border-top: 1px solid $govuk-border-colour;
diff --git a/app/views/components/_published-dates.html.erb b/app/views/components/_published-dates.html.erb
index e1aee3b90..7ae6a26b4 100644
--- a/app/views/components/_published-dates.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/components/_published-dates.html.erb
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
           <% history.each do |change| %>
             <li class="app-c-published-dates__change-item">
               <time class="app-c-published-dates__change-date timestamp" datetime="<%= change[:timestamp] %>"><%= change[:display_time] %></time>
-              <%= change[:note] %>
+              <p class="app-c-published-dates__change-note"><%= change[:note].strip %></p>
             </li>
           <% end %>
         </ol>
diff --git a/test/components/published_dates_test.rb b/test/components/published_dates_test.rb
index c14110e28..588e5aa7e 100644
--- a/test/components/published_dates_test.rb
+++ b/test/components/published_dates_test.rb
@@ -35,6 +35,16 @@ def component_name
     assert_select ".app-c-published-dates--history .app-c-published-dates__change-date", text: "23 August 2013"
   end
 
+  test "strips leading and trailing whitespace from note text" do
+    render_component(
+      published: "1st November 2000",
+      last_updated: "15th July 2015",
+      history: [display_time: "23 August 2013", note: "Updated with new data"],
+    )
+    assert_select ".app-c-published-dates__change-history#full-history"
+    assert_select ".app-c-published-dates--history .app-c-published-dates__change-note", text: /^\S/
+  end
+
   test "only adds history id when passed page history" do
     render_component(published: "1st November 2000")
     assert_select "#history", false, "should only render history id if passed history item"