Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick

The impact of ‘catfishing’ can be devastating for victims. Under the Online Safety Act all in-scope services will need to protect users from illegal content and criminal behaviour, including communications offences such as the false communications offence.

In addition, those services that are likely to be accessed by children will need to take steps to protect child users from content which is harmful. Ofcom will have robust powers enforce to against companies who do not comply with their duties

The impact of ‘catfishing’ can be devastating for victims. Under the Online Safety Act all in-scope services will need to protect users from illegal content and criminal behaviour, including communications offences such as the false communications offence.

In addition, those services that are likely to be accessed by children will need to take steps to protect child users from content which is harmful. Ofcom will have robust powers enforce to against companies who do not comply with their duties

The government consulted on the eligible entity criteria and procedural requirements for the super-complaints’ regime under the Online Safety Act 2023 earlier this year. We are carefully considering responses to the consultation to inform secondary legislation, which we intend to lay in spring next year.

The Online Safety Act requires all services in scope of the regime to proactively tackle and prevent users from being exposed to the most harmful illegal content, much of which disproportionately affects women and girls. Illegal content includes harassment, stalking, and controlling or coercive behaviour. Under the Act, services over the designated threshold will also need to remove certain types of legal content, such as content that is abusive on the basis of sex or gender, where it is prohibited in their terms of service. Companies will need to have effective, accessible mechanisms in place for users to be able to report abuse and receive an appropriate response from the platform.

The Online Safety Act gives online platforms new duties to protect users; this includes taking action against illegal content, such as harassment, and protecting children from harmful content. Ofcom is the regulator for this regime. It will have strong enforcement powers where providers fail to comply with their duties. It will be able to impose significant fines and, where appropriate, business disruption measures on non-compliant platforms. It can fine companies up to £18 million or 10% of their qualifying worldwide annual revenue.

The future of the Holiday Activities and Food programme beyond the 31 March 2025 is subject to the next government Spending Review taking place this autumn and the department will communicate the outcome of that process in due course.

I refer my noble Friend to the answer of 21 October 2024 to Question HL1266.

The future of the Holiday Activities and Food programme beyond 31 March 2025 is subject to the next government Spending Review taking place this autumn and the outcome of the review will be communicated in due course.

We recognise the need to take action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation, and we will set out our approach to addressing this in due course.

1. The Government announced on 7 October that Safety and Security declarations will be required for EU imports from 31 January 2025. Readiness is assessed as being on track. A plan is in place that includes a comprehensive list of readiness activity, with engagement well underway with trade.
2. Border Control Posts (BCPs) are designed to handle high volumes of imported Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) goods and carry out reliable checks which minimise friction on traffic flow. Most BCPs can process six or more vehicles at the same time with ample space to remove or inspect products.
   1. Checks at BCPs are handled by trained staff working to standard operating procedures, ensuring inspections are undertaken safely and efficiently. Inspectors are rigorously trained and are equipped to ensure SPS goods are handled safely and with care.
   2. GB plant health services have significantly increased the number of plant health inspection staff to service the demand for import checks in England and Wales of EU plants and plant products. Inspector levels are being monitored to ensure these meet demand and deliver checks in line with set Service Level Agreements and ensure minimal trade disruption.
3. Responsibility for biosecurity and BCP infrastructure is a devolved matter. However, Defra is working closely with West Coast ports, the Welsh and Scottish Governments to ensure that BCPs across GB can implement the Border Target Operating Model. We will ensure that importers, ports and the authorities have time to prepare for these controls to be turned on.

Defra continues to monitor and review the impacts of new controls introduced under the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM). We will work closely with industry, trade partners and enforcement agencies to minimise costs to trade and disruption, while continuing to protect our biosecurity.

The Government’s modelling of the inflationary impact of the BTOM uses a peer-reviewed econometric model, including the impacts of non-tariff measures related to checks such as the cost of Export Health Certificates and port fees, and upstream impacts such as administrative processing time, training, certificates of origin and security deposits or guarantees when moving agricultural goods under licence.

Analysis has indicated the BTOM policies would lead to an approximate increase in consumer food price inflation of less than 0.2 percentage points over a three-year period

An outbreak of a major disease could have a much more significant impact. The 2001 outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease cost £12.8 billion in 2022 prices, £4.8 billion of which was cost to Government and £8 billion cost to the private sector.

Following their meeting in Brussels on 2 October, the President of the European Commission and the Prime Minister have agreed to strengthen the relationship between the EU and UK, putting it on a more solid, stable footing. We have already said we will seek to negotiate a UK-EU veterinary/SPS agreement to help boost trade and deliver benefits to businesses and consumers in the UK and the EU. The UK and EU are like-minded partners with similarly high standards. We recognise that delivering new agreements will take time, but we are ambitious, have clear priorities and want to move forward at pace.

Food Security is national security which is relevant to all five Government Missions and central to our primary Mission to grow the economy. Boosting Britain’s food security is one of the core priorities of this Government.

We need a resilient and healthy food system that works with nature and supports British Farmers. We will do this by listening to farmers and others with a stake in our food system, countryside, and nature.

The Government recognises the valuable role Local Food Partnerships can play in this regard and welcomes their knowledge and expertise as we develop our plans to support our farmers and food and drink businesses, boost food security, and deliver growth.

The Government will explore how to build on existing place-based initiatives and how to create the best environment for sustainable growth, working in partnership with local leaders.

We recognise the importance of maintaining a thriving and competitive aviation sector in the UK that supports and strengthens Union connectivity.

Passengers between Belfast and London are well served with a choice of between 22 and 35 flights per day, depending on the season, between Belfast’s two airports (Belfast City and Belfast International) and five London airports (Gatwick, Heathrow, City, Luton and Stansted).

I recognise the importance of connectivity between London and Belfast and welcomed the recent Urgent Question on this issue earlier this month.

The Department meets regularly with airlines, including British Airways, to discuss a variety of topics. This includes operational performance and regional connectivity. The Department will continue to meet with airlines to discuss these topics going forward.

Government continues to work closely with the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum to ensure that well-rehearsed traffic management plans for freight and passenger traffic are in place ahead of the introduction of the European Union’s new Entry/Exit system (EES).

Driver welfare is an important factor during any disruption. KMRF has responsibility for providing welfare to freight and non-freight traffic during a period of significant congestion or gridlock on the road network in Kent. KMRF holds an established Driver Welfare Plan, this is currently being reviewed ahead of EES implementation.

The UK is working to deter and disrupt the Russian shadow fleet. At the European Political Community Summit in July, we led efforts to ask European partners to sign a Call for Action that seeks to address the risks that the shadow fleet poses to maritime safety and security, and, crucially, the environment.

The Department for Transport takes robust measures to ensure all sea vessels in UK territorial waters, including the Strait of Dover, comply with environmental law.

The government has implemented, and enforces, a variety of mandatory environmental measures related to the use and carriage of oil, including heavy fuel oil, by sea. International standards are primarily set out in the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), to which the UK is a signatory. Annex I of MARPOL makes provision for the prevention of pollution by oil from ships and includes mandatory requirements such as construction standards of oil tankers, limitations on size and arrangement of cargo tanks, damage stability requirements and a robust survey and certification regime. Compliance with these requirements is enforced by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) through surveys of UK registered ships and Port State Control inspections of non-UK ships when in UK ports. Non-compliance is managed through the detention of ships, prohibition notices and, where necessary, prosecution.

With regard to insurance, within certain tonnage limitations, UK ships and ships coming to or from the UK must have certificates to prove that they have the relevant compulsory civil liability insurance against oil pollution and liability insurance for the locating, marking and removing of wrecks in the event that the ship causes a pollution incident or is wrecked. Insurers must meet the UK’s criteria to provide appropriate cover and be approved by the MCA before a compulsory insurance certificate can be issued.