Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when measures under the Online Safety Act 2023 to help protect social media users from (a) fake and (b) anonymous accounts will be implemented; and whether Ofcom's consultation on additions to the Illegal Content Codes will include those accounts.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Under the Online Safety Act, all services in scope must tackle illegal content and activity which is harmful to children, including activity through fake and anonymous accounts. The illegal harms duties will come into force in Spring 2025, followed by the child safety duties in Summer 2025.
Ofcom’s draft codes include proposed measures to allow children to block accounts, and to reject unwanted invitations to group chats. The Act also requires Category 1 providers to offer user verification options, enabling users to filter out non-verified users and their content. Ofcom expects to consult on these duties in late 2025.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
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 (a) ensure (i) transparency and (ii) accountability in the decision-making process for broadband infrastructure projects and (b) tackle potential conflicts of interest.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
DSIT defines clear policies and procedures for identifying, disclosing, and managing conflicts of interest. This includes a comprehensive disclosure process set out in Terms and Conditions documents and encourages proactive disclosure by employees. Non-Executive Directors are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest upon appointment and as soon as they become aware of them. Civil Servants and appointed board members must also adhere to a code of conduct that outlines the principles and standards expected of them. This includes maintaining integrity and professionalism and ensuring that private interests do not adversely impact their official duties.
As an arm Arms’ Length Body (ALB), BDUK may be subject to ALB review by the Cabinet Office, which involve independent parties to review the organisation in full and oversee conflict of interest situations to ensure impartiality and fairness.
BDUK Non-Executive Directors support business performance and provide strategic guidance to the executive team, Non-Executive Directors are not involved in any commercial contract awarding decisions.
To identify intervention areas for Project Gigabit interventions, the government conducts regular market reviews to collect data on suppliers’ commercial plans to define the premises that are eligible for Project Gigabit subsidy. Using this information, the government then conducts a transparent, fair, and robust procurement process to award contracts to any Project Gigabit suppliers.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
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 help ensure that (a) Openreach and (b) other broadband providers use existing underground infrastructure wherever possible when installing new broadband provision.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We understand concerns about the deployment of telegraph poles. We want operators to share infrastructure and use existing underground ducts, wherever possible.
Where the original infrastructure was buried without ducts, or existing infrastructure is not useable, new infrastructure must be built, and underground ducts are significantly more expensive than poles.
On 16 August, I wrote to broadband operators asking them to share infrastructure wherever possible and expressing support for their work revising the Cabinet and Pole Siting Code of Practice. I will shortly be meeting them to understand their infrastructure sharing plan, to express our concerns and to ensure community views are taken into account.