Foreign-owned Social Media Companies
Debate between Baroness Butler-Sloss and Baroness Smith of Basildon(2 weeks, 2 days ago)
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Baroness Smith of Basildon (Lab)
My Lords, I am a great defender of the BBC, not least for its fantastic production of “Wolf Hall”. If we look back through history, we find that misinformation has caused enormous chaos time and again. It is important that all of us see truth, accuracy and decency as a collective responsibility, and that debate is conducted in a way that is conducive to providing information and helping people to understand the issues. I repeat that we should lower the temperature on contentious issues. It seems that some people are sometimes too interested in lowering the tone of the debate, not the temperature.
Baroness Butler-Sloss (CB)
My Lords, are the Government looking at whether it is necessary to strengthen the Online Safety Act?
Baroness Smith of Basildon (Lab)
My Lords, the first point is to ensure that we bring the Online Safety Act into force in full. That is a foundation on which we can build. It is fairly new legislation that the last Government brought in, which we supported. I hope the Act helps and shows providers the responsibilities they have to ensure that there is a proper debate with good and accurate information. Disinformation is not a new issue, but it is a serious one, because information can travel around the world far faster than it ever has before. Let us see how the Online Safety Act works, make sure that it does and use it as a foundation to build on.
G20 and COP 29 Summits
Debate between Baroness Butler-Sloss and Baroness Smith of Basildon(1 month, 4 weeks ago)
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Baroness Butler-Sloss (CB)
My Lords, the noble Baroness the Leader referred to GB Energy. Are the Government looking at small nuclear reactors?
Baroness Smith of Basildon (Lab)
I am happy to give a very quick answer to the noble Baroness: yes, they are.
Ministerial Gifts and Hospitality
Debate between Baroness Butler-Sloss and Baroness Smith of Basildon(3 months, 1 week ago)
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Baroness Butler-Sloss (CB)
My Lords, as an independent, I was glad that this Government came in. However, what has upset me is the high moral tone this Government came in with, before then having freebies. I wonder whether the Government recognise that I am not the only person who is upset by a combination of a high moral tone and freebies.
Baroness Smith of Basildon (Lab)
My Lords, it is right that we would all want to take a high moral tone because we want the standards of this House and the other place to be as high as possible. The definition of “freebies” is rather emotive, and people make their own judgments about it. For me, two things are important: first, the transparency when an invitation is provided, and, secondly, whether there is a transactional expectation —if somebody expects something in return. That is what I think people are most concerned about. If there is no transactional relationship, it is appropriately declared and it is in the limits provided for, people have to make their judgments about whether they accept such hospitality or gifts.
Government Standards
Debate between Baroness Butler-Sloss and Baroness Smith of Basildon(5 months, 4 weeks ago)
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Baroness Smith of Basildon (Lab)
Of course. It is a given that for good decision-making it is necessary to have good input from different sources. I am unclear why the noble Baroness asked that; I would have thought it was an automatic requisite of good decision-making.
Baroness Butler-Sloss (CB)
Should the House of Lords Appointments Commission be given teeth so as always to have appropriate people as Members of the House?