Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question
To ask The Senior Deputy Speaker what discussions have been had with Churchill Cleaning regarding its proposals to (1) reduce the amount of time spent cleaning in Parliament by over 1000 hours a week, and (2) make 40 cleaners redundant.
Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede
Employment decisions are the responsibility of our contractor. However, the House Administrations have made clear their concerns to Churchill Cleaning about the pace and scale of the proposed changes and have received assurances regarding continued delivery to contractual standards. Our cleaners are highly valued members of our community and we are emphasising this to Churchill Cleaning in our discussions with them.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many Defence and Security Media Advisory Notices were issued in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold this information, as the Defence and Security Media Advisory (DSMA) Committee is an independent, non-statutory body with no governmental affiliation beyond administrative support. Therefore, any queries concerning the Committee’s work should be directed to the DSMA Secretary at [email protected].
The requested information is publicly accessible on the DSMA website. The news section provides summaries of meetings and Secretary reports, including records of supplementary notices issued. This material is available at the DSMA news page: https://www.dsma.uk/news/.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria will be used to determine which social media platforms are subject to the proposed restrictions on children's access.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Keeping children safe online is a priority for this government. That is why the Secretary of State announced a ban on social media platforms offering their services to under-16s.
We aim to use the same model as Australia. This means capturing user to user platforms, whose purpose is to enable social interaction, which allow users to post material alongside algorithms. A narrowly defined list of exemptions, including messaging and educational services, will also be set out and kept under review.
The Secretary of State will set out the final criteria in regulations that she brings forward before the end of 2026.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they intend to enforce restrictions on high-risk online activities, including (1) live-streaming, and (2) contact with strangers.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government has announced its intention that live streaming and stranger communication, including in gaming, will be switched off by default for 16- and 17-year-olds and banned completely for under-16s. Services will need to enforce these restrictions through robust age checks, with requirements set out in regulations later this year.
The Secretary of State wrote to Ofcom’s leadership, making clear that enforcing the Online Safety Act, and these new protections, must be a top priority.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) age-assurance technologies, and (2) any improvements in such technologies required to implement their proposed social media restrictions.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Age assurance technologies play an important role in ensuring that platforms are providing an age-appropriate experience for children on their services.
Ofcom has agreed to launch a rapid assessment of what constitutes highly effective age assurance for establishing whether someone is over 16. Ahead of this, Ofcom are set to publish a report on the effectiveness of age assurance by July 2026, which will help broaden our evidence base and inform future policy options.