Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Keith Vaz Excerpts
Tuesday 6th January 2015

(9 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Jeremy Wright Portrait The Attorney-General
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I agree entirely with my right hon. Friend’s point. It is important for everyone to understand that if they engage in behaviour online and on social media that would be punished under criminal law in other circumstances, it will be punished under criminal law. As I said, the CPS is making an effort to publish its guidelines on a number of matters. This is one of them and there was a public consultation prior to it. We all need to play our part to ensure that people understand the law in this area.

Keith Vaz Portrait Keith Vaz (Leicester East) (Lab)
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Does the Attorney-General share my concern about the increase in Islamophobia and racism on sites such as Facebook and Twitter, and the inability of site owners to take the postings down? Will he have a meeting with the companies concerned to urge them to take down these postings, rather than face prosecution?