Oral Answers to Questions

Ben Obese-Jecty Excerpts

Tuesday 27th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Uma Kumaran]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this important topic. The Government are taking action at home and internationally to tackle appalling online abuse towards women and girls, including AI-generated deepfakes and the sharing of intimate images without consent. The UK has introduced some of the strongest measures against this abuse, including making the creation and sharing of deepfakes a criminal offence. We are co-developing a model national framework to reduce opportunities for offenders to exploit differences between jurisdictions. There is a global partnership for action on gender-based online harassment and abuse. I will continue to raise this issue with international counterparts and at our summit next year.

[Ben Obese-Jecty (Huntingdon) (Con)]

I have had a great deal of trouble getting a straight answer from the Government on this for some months now, so I will give it one more go: on what specific date in August 2024 was Jonathan Powell appointed as the Prime Minister’s special envoy to the British Indian Ocean Territory?

[Ed Miliband]

I think we have answered this question before. I do not have anything further to add to previous answers.

--- Later in debate ---

[Kirsty McNeill]

We absolutely welcome the fact-finding mission’s report. Indeed, we were the initiator of the fact-finding mission, and we remain a huge champion of its work.

[Ben Obese-Jecty]

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. On the question I have just asked the Foreign Secretary, I have asked several times for a straight answer about the appointment of Jonathan Powell. I put in a freedom of information request on 23 June. That FOI was delayed to 22 July, then to 20 August, then to 18 September, then to 18 October and then again to 13 November. What can I do to get a straight answer from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, given that it has now been delaying a response to an FOI for five months?

[Mr Speaker]

The hon. Member seems to put in a lot of questions and FOIs, so I am sure he will pursue the matter through the Table Office and take good advice, but I cannot continue the debate. I am not responsible for the answers from the Foreign Secretary. If the hon. Member were to sit with the Clerks to come up with another way, I am sure that we might get somebody to hear what he said. I am sure that the Front Benchers will have heard it as well.