My penultimate report …

 

As usual in the last quarter, I had my monthly meetings with the Chief Executive and chaired a meeting of the Executive. The most important items of discussion have been our application for charitable status and our selection of a new chair, both of which will be substantive agenda items at our next meeting.

 

The Funding Council recently elected a new chair, Simon Persoff of Wanadoo, and Peter and I had an early meeting with him to review current issues.

 

I have been in contact with Richard Hooper, Deputy Chairman of the Ofcom Main Board and Chairman of the Ofcom Content Board, concerning his attendance at our dinner at the end of our forthcoming away day. He has confirmed that he will attend and have an informal discussion with us.

 

 

I attended a reception at the London School of Economics to launch the final report in the “UK Children Go Online” project led by Board member Sonia Livingstone.

 

I made a presentation at a Help The Aged event on older persons’ use of the Internet. This event was held as part of Adult Learners’ Week.

 

I was a speaker at a conference on child protection & the Internet held at the Lancashire Police Constabulary Headquarters. This was organised by Terry Jones and chaired by Board member Tink Palmer. One of the other speakers was Dave Meadows of the American Embassy and I shall be having a follow-up discussion with him shortly.

 

I attended an OECD conference held at the DTI to discuss communications convergence. There were several references in the British presentations to the success of the IWF as a self-regulatory initiative in the Internet space.

 

I represented the IWF at a meeting in Milan of the European Internet Co-regulation Network. The main issues discussed were draft papers on mobiles & child protection and governance of the Internet.

 

By the time the Board meets, I expect to have attended the launch of  the Institute for Public Policy Research “Manifesto For A Digital Britain”. The guest speaker will be the Government E-commerce Minister Alun Michael.

 

ROGER DARLINGTON     11 July 2005