Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Section 2 of the Suicide Act 1961, how many times his Department has asked internet service providers to remove websites that encourage suicide in each of the last five years.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Department has not asked internet service providers to remove such websites in the last five years. However, we recognise the role of internet service providers in protecting people online. We are working with a range of organisations across the suicide prevention sector, and more widely, on this issue to enable better protection for individuals.
The Online Safety Act, which received royal assent on 26 October 2023, will tackle illegal and legal forms of self-harm and suicide content in several ways. All services in scope will need to proactively prevent all users from being exposed to priority illegal content, including content that encourages or assists suicide.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the (a) adequacy of the work of the Counter Disinformation Unit and (b) impact of that work on freedom of speech.
Answered by John Whittingdale - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
The Counter Disinformation Unit (CDU), now called the National Security Online Information Team (NSOIT), is focused exclusively on risks to national security and public safety.
Preserving freedom of expression is an extremely important principle underpinning the team’s work. The Government believes that people must be allowed to discuss and debate issues freely.
The NSOIT does not monitor the social media accounts of individuals and does not take any action that could impact anyone’s ability to discuss and debate issues freely. When the NSOIT identifies content which is within one of the areas of focus ministers have agreed, is assessed to pose a risk to national security or public safety and which is assessed to breach the terms and conditions of the relevant platform it may share that content with the platform. No action is mandated by the Government, it is entirely up to the platform to determine whether or not to take any action in line with their terms of service. Under no circumstances is content from Parliamentarians or journalists ever referred to platforms. Ministers continue to keep the work of the NSOIT under review and the approach to sharing any content with platforms.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of a UK central bank digital currency on the right to privacy.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Individuals’ privacy, user control and the proper use of data in line with UK data protection laws are of paramount importance to the design of any digital currency.
A digital pound would be subject to rigorous standards of privacy and data protection. Neither the Government nor the Bank of England would have access to personal data, nor be able to see how consumers use their money.
The Government has committed to bring forward legislation in Parliament prior to any Digital Pound being introduced.
The Government and Bank of England consulted on these privacy features of the potential digital pound over February-June 2023, and are currently reviewing the feedback received. A consultation response will be published in due course.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish maps of the (a) properties and (b) land purchased by HS2 Ltd for Phase 2b east of the HS2 project.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The ownership of properties by the Secretary of State for Transport is a matter of public record and available through the Land Registry.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish a list of properties purchased by HS2 Ltd for Phase 2a of the HS2 project.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The ownership of properties by the Secretary of State for Transport is a matter of public record and available through the Land Registry.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish a list of properties purchased by HS2 Ltd for Phase 2b west of the HS2 project.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The ownership of properties by the Secretary of State for Transport is a matter of public record and available through the Land Registry.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish a list of properties purchased by HS2 Ltd for Phase 2b east of the HS2 project.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The ownership of properties by the Secretary of State for Transport is a matter of public record and available through the Land Registry.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish maps of the (a) properties and (b) land purchased by HS2 Ltd for Phase 2b west of the HS2 project.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The ownership of properties by the Secretary of State for Transport is a matter of public record and available through the Land Registry.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish maps of the (a) properties and (b) land purchased by HS2 Ltd for Phase 2a of the HS2 project.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The ownership of properties by the Secretary of State for Transport is is a matter of public record and available through the Land Registry.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has received legal advice on the potential for using the UK passport database for the (a) prevention and (b) detection of crime.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The sharing of passport data with law enforcement agencies for the purpose of preventing and detecting crime is longstanding, and is provided for within His Majesty’s Passport Office’s Privacy Information Notice: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmpo-privacy-information-notice#full-publication-update-history