Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether Ofcom is taking steps to ensure that companies involved in age verification do not (a) retain and (b) misuse personal data.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Online Safety Act requires providers to protect users’ right to privacy when implementing age assurance. UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act requires data to be processed fairly, lawfully, and transparently. Where Ofcom is concerned that a provider has not complied it may refer the matter to the ICO.

Under the Act, regulated services that are likely to be accessed by children must implement highly effective age assurance to prevent exposure to harmful content. There are cost-effective compliant methods available.

Highly effective age assurance must be robust, and services must take appropriate steps to mitigate against circumvention.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an estimate of the cost to health advice charities of setting up age verification procedures.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Online Safety Act requires providers to protect users’ right to privacy when implementing age assurance. UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act requires data to be processed fairly, lawfully, and transparently. Where Ofcom is concerned that a provider has not complied it may refer the matter to the ICO.

Under the Act, regulated services that are likely to be accessed by children must implement highly effective age assurance to prevent exposure to harmful content. There are cost-effective compliant methods available.

Highly effective age assurance must be robust, and services must take appropriate steps to mitigate against circumvention.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to ensure that computer generated proofs of age are not used to verify age on websites.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Online Safety Act requires providers to protect users’ right to privacy when implementing age assurance. UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act requires data to be processed fairly, lawfully, and transparently. Where Ofcom is concerned that a provider has not complied it may refer the matter to the ICO.

Under the Act, regulated services that are likely to be accessed by children must implement highly effective age assurance to prevent exposure to harmful content. There are cost-effective compliant methods available.

Highly effective age assurance must be robust, and services must take appropriate steps to mitigate against circumvention.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will consider the potential merits of amending the 1979 Estate Agents Act to ban the use of conditional selling.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

It is unacceptable for estate agents to withhold offers from sellers because the potential buyer declines to use their additional services. Where there is evidence of such practices, agents can face sanctions including a ban.

The government is committed to protecting people from abuse and poor service at the hands of unscrupulous property agents and to improving estate agent standards more generally.

The National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team (NTSEAT) is the lead estate agent enforcement authority. Alongside local authority Trading Standards teams, they are responsible for ensuring estate agents comply with the Estate Agents Act 1979 and other relevant legislation. NTSEAT have powers to issue warnings and banning orders against rogue agents. In cases of conditional selling, it is essential that any misconduct or manipulation in the offer process is reported to help build a clearer picture of the problem and support potential investigations.

My Department engages regularly with NTSEAT to discuss how best to address specific issues, including conditional selling, and continue to look at options to improve standards across the estate agent sector.

The previous government committed to regulate the property agent sector in 2018 and asked a working group chaired by Lord Richard Best to advise them on how best to do it. However, they failed to respond to the recommendations set out in the working group’s 2019 Regulation of Property Agents: working group report which can be found on gov.uk here. We will set out our full position on regulation of estate, letting and managing agents in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has considered the potential merits of regulating estate agents to ensure best practise.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

It is unacceptable for estate agents to withhold offers from sellers because the potential buyer declines to use their additional services. Where there is evidence of such practices, agents can face sanctions including a ban.

The government is committed to protecting people from abuse and poor service at the hands of unscrupulous property agents and to improving estate agent standards more generally.

The National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team (NTSEAT) is the lead estate agent enforcement authority. Alongside local authority Trading Standards teams, they are responsible for ensuring estate agents comply with the Estate Agents Act 1979 and other relevant legislation. NTSEAT have powers to issue warnings and banning orders against rogue agents. In cases of conditional selling, it is essential that any misconduct or manipulation in the offer process is reported to help build a clearer picture of the problem and support potential investigations.

My Department engages regularly with NTSEAT to discuss how best to address specific issues, including conditional selling, and continue to look at options to improve standards across the estate agent sector.

The previous government committed to regulate the property agent sector in 2018 and asked a working group chaired by Lord Richard Best to advise them on how best to do it. However, they failed to respond to the recommendations set out in the working group’s 2019 Regulation of Property Agents: working group report which can be found on gov.uk here. We will set out our full position on regulation of estate, letting and managing agents in due course.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether organisations providing online health advice are required to age verify users.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Online Safety Act applies to services which allow users to post content online or interact with each other. This includes a broad range of websites, apps and other services.

In-scope services must use highly effective age assurance to prevent children from accessing the most harmful types of content, such as content promoting suicide. They must also provide age-appropriate protections from other kinds of harmful content.

Providers do not need to take this action for content which is beneficial to children.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has considered the potential merits of ending the export of demolition equipment to Israel.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Exports to Israel of demolition equipment that is specifically designed or modified for military use are subject to export controls.

Such controlled exports fall under the scope of the decision announced in September 2024 to suspend export licences for military equipment to Israel that might be used in operations in Gaza, based on our assessment that the items might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law. We have maintained the suspension and have refused new licence applications on the same basis.

Other demolition equipment is not routinely subject to export controls unless it is intended for military use in a country subject to a formal arms embargo.

We keep our export controls including in Israel under close and continual review.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the report by Amnesty International entitled Amnesty International Investigation in Gaza highlights human toll of Israel’s Apartheid System against Palestinians, published on 13 June 2023.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government has not made an assessment of the 13 June 2023 Amnesty report which was published a year before the current Government entered office.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the International Court of Justice’s finding that Israel is in breach of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government strongly opposes all forms of racism and is committed to promoting a tolerant society for people of all ethnicities, religions and nationalities. The UK is fully committed to international law and respects the independence of the International Court of Justice. We continue to consider the Court's Advisory Opinion with the care and seriousness it deserves.

Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund’s 60th anniversary

Men Matter Scotland

125th anniversary of Thornwood Primary School

100th anniversary of Partick Library (No. 2)

Job reductions at news publisher Reach plc

Launch of Dementia Heroes community support group and dementia café in Glasgow

Found: Letter from Patricia Ferguson MP, Chair of the HoC Scottish Affairs Committee to Baroness Ashton of Upholland

Found: Current membership Patricia Ferguson (Labour; Glasgow West) (Chair) Maureen Burke (Labour; Glasgow North

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Patricia Ferguson (Chair); Lillian Jones; Mr Angus MacDonald; Douglas