Internet: Children
Hugo Swire MP: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she has taken to encourage internet service providers to reduce children’s access to harmful internet content. [190226]
Vernon Coaker MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Crime Reduction, Home Office: The Home Secretary’s Taskforce on Online Child Protection brings together Government, law enforcement, children’s agencies and the internet industry to work together to ensure that children can use the internet in safety. It has the aims of making the UK the best and safest place in the world for children to use the internet.
There are excellent working relationships with the internet industry, and they have developed strong working practices and guidelines relating to services they offer and content they host. Where a UK ISP is advised—usually by law enforcement—that they are hosting material, which is illegal, they have an excellent record in removing it.
In September 2007, the Prime Minister announced a review into the risk to children of exposure to harmful or inappropriate content in video games and online. The review will also assess the effectiveness and adequacy of existing measures to help prevent children from being exposed to such material and help parents understand and manage the risks of access to inappropriate content.
Dr. Tanya Byron is conducting this review and will report to Ministers in March 2008. The Home Office looks forward to hearing the recommendations.
Source: Hansard 4 March 2008 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080304/text/80304w0013.htm#08030488000094
Page Created: Mon, March 17th, 2008
Page Modified: Mon, March 17th, 2008
