Extract from Lords oral
answer on the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual
Abuse
(Lab) [V]: My Lords, the
inquiry into child sexual abuse published a report into
online-facilitated abuse, which found that law enforcement agencies
were struggling to keep up and tech companies seemed unaware of the
full scale of the problem on their platforms. Dreadfully, this
issue has now become even more prevalent during the lockdown. Why
have the Government still not published the interim code of
practice on tackling child abuse content, which they promised in
February pending legislation? What immediate action, as called for
in the independent inquiry report, are the Government taking now to
deal with the increasing scourge of this online abuse?
The Minister of State, Home Office () (Con):
My Lords, the Home Secretary speaks every day to operational
partners—the NCA the police and the NPCC. It is
not just that we are aware of the dangers of children being at
home with their computers and not at school; significant effort
has been undertaken to mitigate some of the potential for harm to
children over this period. As for production of the report, that
will come in due course.
To read all the exchanges, CLICK
HERE
Extract from second
reading debate (Commons) of the Extradition (Provisional
Arrest) Bill
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home
Department ():...It is not frontline police
officers who will have to decide whether an Interpol alert is
from a specified country or for a sufficiently serious offence.
The National Crime Agency receives Interpol
requests and, as the designated authority, it will identify which
alerts have been issued by a specified country and for a
sufficiently serious offence. Arrangements are in place to ensure
that, when the agency is satisfied, the request is underpinned by
a warrant for arrest or conviction in the requesting country.
The NCA will then certify that
those alerts, including the immediate power of arrest, will
apply. Certified alerts will be clearly distinguishable on the
databases available to police and Border Force officers.
Following arrest, the individual must be brought before a UK
judge as soon as practical...
(St Helens North) (Lab):...I
welcome the specific mention by the Minister of the role of the
National Crime Agency in helping to adjudicate.
We believe it requires a thorough process of consultation and
assessment before a territory is added, varied
or removed. Issues such as the use of the death
penalty should be a factor in the decisions we make. Consultation
—first with the devolved Administrations, who can bring valuable
expertise and so often have powers relating to justice and,
secondly, with relevant non-governmental organisations and
experts—is at the heart of the amendment made in the other place.
There should then be an assessment made on the risks of the
proposed changes and, where the proposal is to add a territory,
on the basis of evidence and judgment...
To read the whole debate, CLICK
HERE
Extract from Education
Questions: Online Protection: Covid-19
(Crawley) (Con): What steps his
Department is taking to protect children and young people online
during the covid-19 outbreak. [903514]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education
(): At this deeply challenging
time, it has been so important that people, especially children,
have been able to stay in touch online, but, of course, they
should be able to do so safely. We have worked with the
National Crime Agency, the UK Safer Internet,
Internet Matters, the National Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Children and many other experts to provide detailed
guidance and support to schools and colleges on keeping children
safe online, as well as advice and high-quality resources for
parents and carers.
[V]: Does my hon. Friend agree
that, although we must be cognisant of the risks on the internet
to children and young people, it is very important for their
mental health and social wellbeing that they are encouraged to
connect via various internet channels with family, friends and
others who are part of their support network?
: My hon. Friend is absolutely
right. Being online has had great benefits for children, giving
them access to educational resources and entertainment but also
enabling them to stay in touch with family and friends, which is
vital to their wellbeing. Social media companies have a role in
keeping children safe. This Government are committed to creating
a statutory duty of care on companies to protect their users,
especially children. But they should not wait for us to
legislate—they should act.
