Contributions
2,186 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Online Safety BillThe hon. Gentleman talks about the wider use of screens and screen time, and that is why Ofcom’s media literacy programme, and DCMS’s media literacy strategy—05 Dec 2022HANSARD Online Safety BillIt is important that we tackle this in a number of ways. My right hon. Friend the Member for Haltemprice and Howden (Mr Davis) and I spoke earlier, and I will come to some of what…05 Dec 2022HANSARD Online Safety BillThat is because we have a detailed strategy that tackles many of these issues. Again, none of this is perfect, and as I have said, the Government are working in tandem with the…05 Dec 2022HANSARD Online Safety BillI absolutely echo my hon. Friend’s remarks, and I again thank him for his work. We are also taking steps to strengthen Ofcom’s enforcement powers, which is why we are giving Ofcom…05 Dec 2022HANSARD Online Safety BillIndeed, there will be, and are, review points in the Bill. I have no doubt that my right hon. Friend will raise that on other occasions as well. I want to ensure that there is…05 Dec 2022HANSARD Online Safety BillI was going to come to my hon. Friend in two seconds. In the absence of clearly defined offences, the changes we are making to the Bill mean that it is likely to be almost…05 Dec 2022HANSARD Online Safety BillI thank my right hon. Friend. It is the technology sector that develops technology—it is a simple, circular definition—not the Government. We are looking to make sure that it has…05 Dec 2022HANSARD Online Safety BillThere simply has to be. These are global companies and we want to make the Bill work for the whole of the UK. This is not an England-only Bill, so the changes must happen for…05 Dec 2022HANSARD Online Safety BillAs I said, the social media platforms will have to put in place robust age assurance and age verification for material in an accredited form that is acceptable to Ofcom, which…05 Dec 2022HANSARD Online Safety BillThank you, Mr Speaker; I will try to keep my remarks very much in scope. The harmful communications offence in clause 151 was a reform to communication offences proposed in the…05 Dec 2022HANSARD Online Safety BillI talked about the fact that the Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner will be statutory consultees, because it is really important that their…05 Dec 2022HANSARD Online Safety BillThis Bill links with other legislation, and obviously the agencies. We do not seek to redefine extremism where those definitions already exist. As we expand on the changes that we…05 Dec 2022HANSARD Online Safety BillI will give way and then finish up.05 Dec 2022HANSARD Online Safety BillI will make a bit of progress, because I am testing Mr Speaker’s patience. We are making a number of technical amendments to ensure that the new communications offences are…05 Dec 2022HANSARD Online Safety BillOn self-harm, I do not think there is any doubt that we are absolutely aligned. On suicide, I have some concerns about how new clause 16 is drafted—it amends the Suicide Act 1961,…05 Dec 2022HANSARD Online Safety BillI do not think I am changing my view. I am saying that this is not the last stage of the Bill, so there will be plenty of opportunity further to test this, should Members want to…05 Dec 2022HANSARD Online Safety BillI will give way first to one of my predecessors.05 Dec 2022HANSARD Online Safety BillBecause if those companies do not, they will get a fine of up to £18 million or 10% of their global turnover, whichever is higher. As we are finding with Twitter, there is also a…05 Dec 2022HANSARD Online Safety BillIf my hon. Friend will bear with me—I need to make some progress—I think that will be teased out today and in Committee, should the Bill be recommitted, as we amend the clauses…05 Dec 2022HANSARD Online Safety BillMy right hon. Friend talks with experience from her time at the Home Office. She is absolutely right that the Bill sets a framework to adhere to the terms and conditions of the…05 Dec 2022