Office for Students: Appointments

Lord Anderson of Swansea Excerpts

Tuesday 9th January 2018 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Younger of Leckie]

As I believe we stated in the internet safety strategy, the issue of pornography will be considered as we develop the regulations and guidance on relationships and sex education, which the Children and Social Work Act 2017 requires us to make compulsory in all secondary schools in England. Evidence has shown that the easy availability of online pornography is changing the way that young people understand healthy relationships. We need to be aware of this and move forward.

[Lord Anderson of Swansea (Lab)]

My Lords, does the Minister agree that even his “broad church” must have some limits, so what went wrong?

[Viscount Younger of Leckie]

I did not hear the last part of the question.

[Lord Anderson of Swansea]

What went wrong?

[Viscount Younger of Leckie]

I think that I have made it clear that the issue was the due diligence concerning the tweets. At the end of the day, Mr Young was appointed on merit, but there were very many tweets that we did not manage to get into—but I have made that clear in another answer.