Contributions
1,032 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCounter Disinformation UnitMy Lords, is the Minister able to assure us that the Counter Disinformation Unit never pressurised anyone in big tech to censor by proxy? The public are owed that explanation, not…18 Jul 2023HANSARDOnline Safety BillBefore the Minister sits down, I think that it is entirely appropriate for him to say—I have heard it before—“Oh no, nothing was taken down. None of this is believable. No…17 Jul 2023HANSARDOnline Safety BillMy Lords, it is all quite exciting now, is it not? I can say “hear, hear!” a lot; everyone is talking about freedom of expression. I cannot tell noble Lords how relieved and…17 Jul 2023HANSARDOnline Safety BillMy Lords, I put my name to this very important amendment—all the more important because of the previous discussions we have had about the difficulties around misinformation or…17 Jul 2023HANSARDOnline Safety BillOn the previous group, I raised the issue of legal speech that was labelled as misinformation and removed in the extreme situation of a public health panic. This was seemingly…17 Jul 2023HANSARDOnline Safety BillMy Lords, I will be very brief. The danger with Clause 158 is that it discredits media literacy as something benign or anodyne; it will become a political plaything. I am already…17 Jul 2023HANSARDOnline Safety BillBefore the Minister sits down, to quote the way the Minister has operated throughout Report, there is consensus across the House that there are some concerns. The reason why there…17 Jul 2023HANSARDLeasehold Properties: Managing AgentsMy Lords, the estate agents Hamptons estimates that England’s leaseholders will collectively pay a crippling £7.6 billion in service charges this year. The Minister will have…17 Jul 2023HANSARDOnline Safety BillMy Lords, I want to look at how, in the Government expanding Ofcom’s duties to prioritise media literacy, it has become linked to this group, and to look at the way in which…17 Jul 2023HANSARDOnline Safety BillMy Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Allan of Hallam, hinted at the fact that there have been a plethora of government amendments on Report and, to be honest, it has been quite hard…17 Jul 2023HANSARDOnline Safety BillMy Lords, a lot of positive and interesting things have been said that I am sympathetic to, but this group of amendments raises concerns about a democratic deficit: if too much of…12 Jul 2023HANSARDOnline Safety BillMy Lords, I know that we do not have long and I do not want to be churlish. I am not that keen on this amendment, but I want to ask a question in relation to it. I am concerned…12 Jul 2023HANSARDOnline Safety BillThe Minister did not quite grasp what I said but I will not keep the House. Would he be prepared to accept recommendations for a broader consultation—or who do I address them to?…12 Jul 2023HANSARDOnline Safety BillMy Lords, I am completely opposed to Amendments 159 and 160, but the noble Lords, Lord Faulks and Lord Black, and the noble Viscount, Lord Colville, have explained the issues…12 Jul 2023HANSARDOnline Safety BillMy Lords, I rise to speak to Amendment 184 in my name—10 Jul 2023HANSARDOnline Safety BillMy Lords, I genuinely appreciate this debate. The noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, made what I thought was a very important point, which is, in going through the weeds of the…10 Jul 2023HANSARDOnline Safety BillMy Lords, I am rather disappointed that, while this is a large group on freedom of expression, it is dominated by amendments by myself and the noble Lord, Lord Moylan. I welcome…10 Jul 2023HANSARDOnline Safety Bill10 Jul 2023HANSARDOnline Safety BillI clarify that what I said was aimed at protecting children. Somebody corrected me and asked, “Do you know that this says ‘abusive’?”—of course I do. What I suggested was that…06 Jul 2023HANSARDOnline Safety BillMy Lords, I am happy to acknowledge and recognise what the Government did when they created user empowerment duties to replace legal but harmful. I think they were trying to…06 Jul 2023