Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are under a statutory obligation to update the Guidance from the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to the Age-Verification Regulator for Online Pornography, published in January 2018 and presented to Parliament pursuant to section 27 of the Digital Economy Act 2017; and if so, how often they are obliged to update it.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
In October 2019, His Majesty’s Government announced its decision to use the Online Safety Bill to protect children from pornography. The provisions in this Bill will provide greater protection to children than Part 3 of the Digital Economy Act. It will cover a wider range of services, including social media companies and search services, which were not in scope of the Digital Economy Act, and which play a significant role in enabling children to access harmful content online.
There is no statutory obligation to update the guidance mentioned in section 27 of the Digital Economy Act. As HM Government intends to repeal Part 3 of that Act through the Online Safety Bill, amending this guidance would not serve any purpose as it will not be used. Instead, Ofcom, as the independent regulator for the online safety regime, will set out the steps companies can take to protect children from harmful content such as pornography in codes of practice. Ofcom will also publish guidance for companies to meet the duty to protect children from published pornography in Part 5 of the Bill. The Secretary of State will also have a general power to issue guidance to Ofcom about the exercise of its functions under the Bill.
Ofcom will have a range of powers to assess whether companies are fulfilling their duties, and will be empowered to enforce the new regulatory regime. The British Board of Film Classification’s designation as the age verification regulator under the Digital Economy Act was revoked following the October 2019 announcement.
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to amending any aspects of the Guidance from the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to the Age-Verification Regulator for Online Pornography, published in January 2018 and presented to Parliament pursuant to Section 27 of the Digital Economy Act 2017, before commencement of provisions in Part 3 of that Act; and if so, which aspects they will amend.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
In October 2019, His Majesty’s Government announced its decision to use the Online Safety Bill to protect children from pornography. The provisions in this Bill will provide greater protection to children than Part 3 of the Digital Economy Act. It will cover a wider range of services, including social media companies and search services, which were not in scope of the Digital Economy Act, and which play a significant role in enabling children to access harmful content online.
There is no statutory obligation to update the guidance mentioned in section 27 of the Digital Economy Act. As HM Government intends to repeal Part 3 of that Act through the Online Safety Bill, amending this guidance would not serve any purpose as it will not be used. Instead, Ofcom, as the independent regulator for the online safety regime, will set out the steps companies can take to protect children from harmful content such as pornography in codes of practice. Ofcom will also publish guidance for companies to meet the duty to protect children from published pornography in Part 5 of the Bill. The Secretary of State will also have a general power to issue guidance to Ofcom about the exercise of its functions under the Bill.
Ofcom will have a range of powers to assess whether companies are fulfilling their duties, and will be empowered to enforce the new regulatory regime. The British Board of Film Classification’s designation as the age verification regulator under the Digital Economy Act was revoked following the October 2019 announcement.
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how long after completion of the passage of the Online Safety Bill they would expect Ofcom to have the power to issue the first provisional notice of contravention under Part 5 of that Bill.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
His Majesty’s Government is committed to implementing protections for children from online pornography, including the provisions in Part 5 of the Online Safety Bill, as quickly as possible. The Government’s intention is to have the online safety regime operational as soon as possible after Royal Assent, while ensuring the necessary preparations are completed effectively and service providers understand what is expected. We are working closely with Ofcom to ensure this.
As set out in Ofcom’s Roadmap to Regulation, an important consideration for the implementation of Part 5 will be the need to ensure a consistency in approach across all providers of online pornography, including those hosting user-generated content subject to the duties of Part 3. This is to ensure the legislation effectively protects children from pornography, wherever it appears online. Ofcom also needs appropriate time and flexibility properly to produce and then consult relevant statutory consultees on the relevant guidance, including those who represent the interests of children.
Ofcom will be able to use its enforcement powers, including the power to issue a provisional notice of contravention relating to Part 5, once clause 68, which sets out the duties for regulated provider pornographic content, is commenced. We do not, however, expect to see sanctions applied, except in the most egregious cases, until Ofcom has worked with regulated entities to ensure they have sufficient knowledge and notice of the new regulatory framework. Before issuing any sanctions Ofcom will undertake a full and fair investigation of any suspected non-compliance.
The introduction of the Bill should be taken as a clear message to companies that they need to begin preparing for regulation now.
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether Ofcom's roadmap to regulation for the Online Safety Bill ensures that the implementation period for Part 5 of that bill following passage of the legislation will be as short as possible, as per their policy and the remarks made by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 17 March 2021 (HL Deb cols 343–7).
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
His Majesty’s Government is committed to implementing protections for children from online pornography, including the provisions in Part 5 of the Online Safety Bill, as quickly as possible. The Government’s intention is to have the online safety regime operational as soon as possible after Royal Assent, while ensuring the necessary preparations are completed effectively and service providers understand what is expected. We are working closely with Ofcom to ensure this.
As set out in Ofcom’s Roadmap to Regulation, an important consideration for the implementation of Part 5 will be the need to ensure a consistency in approach across all providers of online pornography, including those hosting user-generated content subject to the duties of Part 3. This is to ensure the legislation effectively protects children from pornography, wherever it appears online. Ofcom also needs appropriate time and flexibility properly to produce and then consult relevant statutory consultees on the relevant guidance, including those who represent the interests of children.
Ofcom will be able to use its enforcement powers, including the power to issue a provisional notice of contravention relating to Part 5, once clause 68, which sets out the duties for regulated provider pornographic content, is commenced. We do not, however, expect to see sanctions applied, except in the most egregious cases, until Ofcom has worked with regulated entities to ensure they have sufficient knowledge and notice of the new regulatory framework. Before issuing any sanctions Ofcom will undertake a full and fair investigation of any suspected non-compliance.
The introduction of the Bill should be taken as a clear message to companies that they need to begin preparing for regulation now.
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they expect the duties on user-to-user services created by the Online Safety Bill to apply when services are accessed via a Virtual Private Network (VPN) and the service may not be able to know if the user is located in the UK.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Online Safety Bill will apply to companies which allow users to post content online or to interact with each other, as well as to search services.
The Online Safety Bill will ensure that users in the UK are protected. It will apply to any relevant service which is ‘linked to the UK’, no matter where it is based. A service is linked to the UK if it has a significant number of UK users, UK users form a target market, or if it poses a material risk of significant harm to UK individuals.
The onus will be on companies to ensure that their systems are sufficiently effective. Ofcom will be able to take robust enforcement action against companies which fail to fulfil their duties.
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether it is possible for Internet Service Providers to block access to a website if a user is accessing it using (1) Domain Name System (DNS) over Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS), or (2) Domain Name System (DNS) over Transport Layer Security (TLS) by, for example, instead relying on Server Name Indication or the Online Certificate Status Protocol.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
His Majesty’s Government takes the introduction of Domain Name System over Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure and over Transport Layer Security seriously, and is concerned about how implementation could affect users’ safety, as well as cybersecurity and the lawful interception of communications. His Majesty’s Government is actively engaging with industry representatives to ensure that it does not cause unintended consequences.
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of a temporary suspension of NHS prescription charges on (1) patients, (2) the NHS, and (3) the economy, given the rising cost of living; and what plans they have, if any, to implement such a suspension.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No recent assessment has been made and we have no plans to implement such a suspension. We have frozen prescription charges for 2022/23 to assist with the cost of living. In addition to the single prescription charge, this also applies to Prescription Payment Certificates (PPCs). The cost of a 12 month PPC remains at £108.10, which can be paid in instalments, to allow people receive their required medicines for just over £2 a week. People on a low income who do not qualify for an exemption may be eligible for help with prescription charges through the NHS Low Income Scheme. Approximately 89% of National Health Service prescription items are dispensed free of charge.
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the rising cost of living on people with chronic conditions, such as sickle cell disease.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government understands that people across the UK and especially the most vulnerable members of society, such as those suffering from long-term health conditions and disabilities, are worried about the rising cost of living. That is why the Government is taking decisive action to get households through this winter, while ensuring we act in a fiscally responsible way.
People in receipt of extra-costs disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) will receive a one-off Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 from 20th September, to help with the extra costs disabled people are facing. The DWP has already processed around 6 million such payments.
The Government is also providing a £650 Cost of Living Payment to recipients of means-tested benefits, to support people with low incomes with the rising cost of living. Individuals who have limited ability to work because of their health condition, and are in receipt of means-tested benefits such as income-related Employment and Support Allowance or the Universal Credit Health top up, are therefore eligible for this support.
Those living with a long-term health condition, such as sickle cell disease, can also benefit from other forms of non-means-tested support which the Government is providing to assist with UK households’ energy bills.
Firstly via the recently announced Energy Price Guarantee, a typical UK household will have to pay energy bills equivalent to no more than £2500 a year this winter. The Energy Price Guarantee will reduce the unit cost of electricity and gas and will supersede the existing energy price cap. Beyond April 2023, a Treasury-led review will consider how to support households and businesses with energy bills after April 2023.
Secondly via the Energy Bills Support Scheme, which will provide £400 to help with domestic energy bills. All households in Council Tax bands A-D will also receive the Government-funded £150 Council Tax Rebate, which will be delivered by Local Authorities.
Lastly, to support households who need further help or who are not eligible for elements of the wider package of support, the Government is also providing an extra £500 million of local support to help with the cost of essentials, via the Household Support Fund.
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce free NHS prescriptions for medical conditions with existing health inequalities, such as sickle cell disease.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No specific assessment has been made and there are no current plans to review or extend the prescription charge medical exemptions list to include long term conditions, such as sickle cell disease.
Approximately 89% of prescription items are currently dispensed free of charge and there are a range of exemptions from prescription charges for which those with sickle cell disease may meet the eligibility criteria and be in receipt of free prescriptions. To support those who do not qualify for an exemption from prescription charges, the cost of prescriptions can be capped by purchasing a prescription pre-payment certificate, which can be paid for in instalments. A holder of a 12-month certificate can get all the prescriptions they need for just over £2 per week. Additionally, those on a low income who do not qualify for an exemption from prescription charges can also seek help under the NHS Low Income Service, which provides help with health costs on an income-related basis.
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the affordability of medication for people living with sickle cell disease.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No specific assessment has been made and there are no current plans to review or extend the prescription charge medical exemptions list to include long term conditions, such as sickle cell disease.
Approximately 89% of prescription items are currently dispensed free of charge and there are a range of exemptions from prescription charges for which those with sickle cell disease may meet the eligibility criteria and be in receipt of free prescriptions. To support those who do not qualify for an exemption from prescription charges, the cost of prescriptions can be capped by purchasing a prescription pre-payment certificate, which can be paid for in instalments. A holder of a 12-month certificate can get all the prescriptions they need for just over £2 per week. Additionally, those on a low income who do not qualify for an exemption from prescription charges can also seek help under the NHS Low Income Service, which provides help with health costs on an income-related basis.