Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle the issue of online platforms facilitating information on how to conduct abuse against women, including drug-facilitated sexual assault, especially within intimate partner relationships.

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

The Online Safety Act 2023 requires all in-scope companies, including social media platforms, to take swift and effective action against criminal online abuse. Under the Act, online platforms must put in place systems and processes to reduce the risk of their services being used for illegal activity, and to take down illegal content when it appears.

This includes content that facilitates, encourages or provides instructions to carry out a criminal offence under UK law, including drug-facilitated sexual assault. If platforms do not comply, Ofcom can fine up to £18m or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue (whichever is higher). They may also apply to the courts for business disruption measures that require third parties to withdraw their services from, or restrict access to, non-compliant services in the UK.

The Home Office will continue to work with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and others to explore how online platforms can do more to protect women and girls via the Online Safety Act and other means.

Drawing on the tactics used to tackle child sexual abuse online,“Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy”, which we published on 18 December 2025, committed the Government to expanding the use of specialist Undercover Online Officers to address VAWG.

Delivering on this commitment, the Home Office will pilot a brand-new network of officers with technical capability to target the highest harm, most technologically sophisticated offenders. The pilot will help improve capabilities to counter and reduce the highest harms posed to the UK public from VAWG, and insights from the pilot will be shared with Ofcom to help address the use of online platforms to cause harm.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ease with which people can access drugs that can be used for drug-facilitated sexual assault.

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

The Government is committed to tackling all illegal drugs, which is key to delivering our missions to make our streets safer and to improve our nation’s health.

We have commissioned the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to review the effect of controlled drug use on women and girls, including links to domestic abuse and wider violence, and to make recommendations.

Submit Evidence (by 9 Jul 2026)

The Northern Ireland Scrutiny Committee is conducting an inquiry into Article 2 of the Protocol/Windsor Framework (Article 2 WF), the so-called 'non-diminution of rights' provision.