Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (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 the video games industry's self-regulation on loot boxes; and what plans they have, if any, to ensure mobile games disclose that they contain loot boxes and make available parental controls to prevent children from acquiring loot boxes without permission.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We are committed to ensuring that purchases of loot boxes should not be available to children and young people unless and until they are enabled by a parent or guardian; and that all players should have access to and be aware of spending controls and transparent information to support safe and responsible gaming.
The previous Government convened a Technical Working Group (TWG) of video game developers, which produced new industry-led guidance on consumer protections, published in July 2023. The TWG has prepared a report on industry implementation of the measures, which we urge all video games companies to adopt in full. In addition, we have commissioned independent academic research to assess the effectiveness of the new guidance and will consider whether further action is required when this research is complete.
The Advertising Standards Authority and the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) are responsible for setting and enforcing the UK Advertising Codes and are independent of the government. The Department meets regularly with representatives of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) on a range of matters. The ASA’s rulings on breaches of loot box advertising code requirements are available at: https://www.asa.org.uk/codes-and-rulings/rulings.html.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what mechanisms implemented by the Online Safety Act 2023 are in place to monitor and assess risks associated with new gambling advertising technologies and practices.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Online Safety Act (OSA) applies to search services and online platforms that allow users to interact with each other or to post content online. Under the OSA’s child safety duties, from Summer 2025, relevant services will need to conduct risk assessments and take steps to protect child users.
Gambling policy is a matter for DCMS. In addition, the Online Advertising Taskforce supports the aims of DCMS to improve transparency and accountability in the online advertising supply chain. It will deliver work to address illegal advertising and minimise children being served advertising for products and services illegal to sell to them.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to establish an evidence base which will safeguard the experience of children online, specifically with reference to the impact of gambling advertising and the provisions of the Online Safety Act 2023.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Online Safety Act (OSA) applies to search services and online platforms that allow users to interact with each other or to post content online. Under the OSA’s child safety duties, from Summer 2025, relevant services will need to conduct risk assessments and take steps to protect child users.
Gambling policy is a matter for DCMS. In addition, the Online Advertising Taskforce supports the aims of DCMS to improve transparency and accountability in the online advertising supply chain. It will deliver work to address illegal advertising and minimise children being served advertising for products and services illegal to sell to them.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what measures are being implemented under the Online Safety Act 2023 to ensure that gambling platforms deploy effective age assurance technologies to prevent children from being exposed to online gambling advertising and services.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Online Safety Act (OSA) applies to search services and online platforms that allow users to interact with each other or to post content online. Under the OSA’s child safety duties, from Summer 2025, relevant services will need to conduct risk assessments and take steps to protect child users.
Gambling policy is a matter for DCMS. In addition, the Online Advertising Taskforce supports the aims of DCMS to improve transparency and accountability in the online advertising supply chain. It will deliver work to address illegal advertising and minimise children being served advertising for products and services illegal to sell to them.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in implementing the Online Safety Act 2023, what steps they are taking to ensure that gambling platforms incorporate "safety by design" to minimise harm to children and vulnerable users from gambling advertising and content.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Online Safety Act (OSA) applies to search services and online platforms that allow users to interact with each other or to post content online. Under the OSA’s child safety duties, from Summer 2025, relevant services will need to conduct risk assessments and take steps to protect child users.
Gambling policy is a matter for DCMS. In addition, the Online Advertising Taskforce supports the aims of DCMS to improve transparency and accountability in the online advertising supply chain. It will deliver work to address illegal advertising and minimise children being served advertising for products and services illegal to sell to them.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to educate parents, carers and young people about the risks of online gambling and advertising exposure.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Protecting children and young people from being harmed or exploited by gambling is a core Gambling Commission objective, and a priority for the Government. To prevent children and young people from experiencing gambling-related harm later in life, since 2020, children have been taught about the risks relating to gambling as part of the statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education curriculum in England.
The government is introducing a statutory levy to be paid by gambling operators raising funding for research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harms. We recognise that more may need to be done to improve the education of children and young people around the risks and harms associated with gambling. The levy will play an important part in the Government’s wider aim to have a better informed and protected public when it comes to gambling harms.
As I set out last week, I have set the gambling industry a clear task to further raise standards to ensure that levels of gambling advertising does not exacerbate harm, and this work will be monitored closely.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 3 December (HL2700), whether they consider nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement to be legally binding targets in UK law.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK’s 2030 and 2035 nationally determined contributions are fair and ambitious contributions to global action on climate change, in line with the Paris Agreement temperature goal. NDCs are international communications of ambition required to be communicated under the Paris Agreement, a treaty under international law. Alongside our international commitments, the UK was the first country to introduce a legally binding, long-term emissions reduction target under the Climate Change Act 2008. This framework includes the UK’s legislated 2050 net zero target, which the Climate Change Committee has confirmed is consistent with the trajectories of the UK’s 2030 and 2035 NDCs.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the fact that the carbon dioxide emission levels for 2030 specified in the fifth carbon budget are 33 per cent below those specified in the nationally determined contributions for 2030; and what steps they will take to address this disparity.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The fifth carbon budget was set in 2016, when the UK’s legal target was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% on 1990 levels. The Climate Change Act 2008 was amended in 2019 to strengthen the 2050 target to net zero. The UK's 2030 nationally determined contribution to reduce emissions by at least 68% on 1990 levels was set in 2020 to align with the trajectory to achieve net zero by 2050.
The Government will publish a report setting out its plan to meet carbon budgets in due course. This will set out the policies and proposals needed to meet Carbon Budgets 4-6 and the 2030 and 2035 NDC targets.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to making the UK's 2030 nationally determined contribution legally binding in UK law.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK’s 2030 nationally determined contribution – to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by at least 68% on 1990s levels – is a fair and ambitious contribution to global action on climate change, in line with the Paris Agreement temperature goal. NDCs are international communications of ambition under the Paris Agreement, submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Alongside our international commitments, the UK was the first country to introduce a legally binding, long-term emissions reduction target under the Climate Change Act 2008. This framework includes the UK’s legislated 2050 net zero target, which the Climate Change Committee has confirmed is consistent with the trajectory of the UK’s 2030 NDC.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their target level for million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) for each year from 2025 to 2035 for (1) terrestrial emissions, (2) terrestrial emissions plus emissions from international aviation and shipping, and (3) the categories of emissions in (1) and (2) plus import emissions.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
UK’s current and next carbon budgets are set on a territorial basis as follows:
Carbon Budget 6 (2033-2037) includes emissions from international aviation and shipping and is set at 965 MtCO2e over the period.
The Carbon Budget levels have been set in line with advice from the independent Climate Change Committee.