Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the national police database and its ability to analyse the link between (1) exposure to violent and misogynistic pornography,  and (2) violent offences against women and girls.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Police National Database provides a joined-up view of vital intelligence gathered nationwide and made available to Policing and law enforcement agencies. Its data is uploaded regularly by police forces and law enforcement agencies.

PND searches can link people, addresses, phones and vehicles and can be used to investigate individual offenders or crimes, or to build intelligence about networks or gangs involved in criminal activity.

Where people are suspected of crimes involving obscene publications, indecency or violence against women and girls, the details would be shown on their record on PND. If their record includes intelligence indicating both exposure to violent and misogynistic pornography and violence against women and girls, further investigation could follow to establish whether there was a link.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the findings of the Children's Commissioner's report ‘A lot of it is actually just abuse' - Young people and pornography, published in January 2023, what progress they have made in reducing the harms to adolescents and children caused by violent photography, including non-fatal strangulation and incest in pornography.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch

The Independent Pornography Review was a thorough assessment of a complicated and multi-faceted set of issues. Government departments are undertaking detailed work to consider how best to tackle the important set of issues raised.

The Government has recently announced that pornography depicting acts of strangulation will be made illegal through Crime and Policing Bill. The Online Safety Act will prevent children from accessing pornography, with duties requiring highly effective age assurance in force from 25 July.

Ofcom's draft guidance summarises measures for platforms to tackle the abuse that women and girls disproportionately face online. The finalised guidance will be published by the end of the year.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the draft guidance A safer life online for women and girls, published by Ofcom on 25 February under the Online Safety Act 2023; and what assessment they have made of whether there is a gap in the guidance on online pornography regulation.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch

The Independent Pornography Review was a thorough assessment of a complicated and multi-faceted set of issues. Government departments are undertaking detailed work to consider how best to tackle the important set of issues raised.

The Government has recently announced that pornography depicting acts of strangulation will be made illegal through Crime and Policing Bill. The Online Safety Act will prevent children from accessing pornography, with duties requiring highly effective age assurance in force from 25 July.

Ofcom's draft guidance summarises measures for platforms to tackle the abuse that women and girls disproportionately face online. The finalised guidance will be published by the end of the year.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 15 May (HL7084), what is the timetable for implementing the recommendations of Creating a Safer World–the Challenge of Regulating Online Pornography (HC 592), published on 27 February.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch

The Independent Pornography Review was a thorough assessment of a complicated and multi-faceted set of issues. Government departments are undertaking detailed work to consider how best to tackle the important set of issues raised.

The Government has recently announced that pornography depicting acts of strangulation will be made illegal through Crime and Policing Bill. The Online Safety Act will prevent children from accessing pornography, with duties requiring highly effective age assurance in force from 25 July.

Ofcom's draft guidance summarises measures for platforms to tackle the abuse that women and girls disproportionately face online. The finalised guidance will be published by the end of the year.

Found: 14 October 2025 10.35 am Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Foster of Bath (The Chair); Baroness Bertin

Found: 2025 10.35 am Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Foster of Bath (The Chair); Lord Bach; Baroness Bertin

Found: September 2025 noon Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Foster of Bath (The Chair); Lord Bach; Baroness Bertin

Found: 2025 11.05 am Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Foster of Bath (The Chair); Lord Bach; Baroness Bertin

Found: The recently published review into online pornography, authored by Baroness Bertin, reported how new

Found: PLoS One. 2025 26;20(2) 37 "Girls' Attitudes Survey 24". 38 Baroness Bertin.

Found: Baroness Bertin, in her recently published Independent Review of Pornography, said “misogynistic attitudes

Found: We would therefore invoke the recommendations made by Baroness Bertin in her review of pornography regulation

Found: Baroness Bertin: Yes, I do.

Found: June 2025 2 pm Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Foster of Bath (The Chair); Lord Bach; Baroness Bertin

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of adequacy of existing enforcement powers and resources available to Ofcom and law enforcement bodies to prevent the distribution and monetisation of violent, degrading or illegal pornographic content online; and what plans they have to bring forward further legislative or resourcing proposals.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Ofcom has a suite of enforcement powers to deploy where providers fail to comply with their duties under the Online Safety Act to deal with illegal content and content harmful to children. These include powers to fine up to 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue. Ofcom has launched an enforcement programme to protect children encountering pornographic content.

The Independent Pornography Review published its final report on 27 February 2025. The government is grateful to Baroness Bertin for her Review. It is right that the government takes time to understand this complex yet deeply important topic.

Found: government, Alex Davies-Jones noted that the new clauses related to recommendations made by Baroness Bertin

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