Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will make it her policy that types of pornographic content that it would be illegal to distribute offline, such as scenes depicting incest and scenes of simulated child abuse, are subject to equivalent controls online.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Online Safety Act (OSA) already places robust duties on online platforms to tackle illegal and harmful pornographic content. Platforms are required to prevent users from encountering such content, and services that host or allow access to pornography must have effective measures, such as age verification, to protect children. In 2025, the government announced that strangulation will be made a priority offence under the OSA, requiring platforms to take swift action against this content.
Following the Independent Pornography Review, a cross-government joint team has been established to inform the government’s approach to pornography policy.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, on what date the cross-departmental team established to address the findings of Baroness Bertin’s Independent Pornography Review formally commenced its work; and when is that team expected to provide its findings and recommendations.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The ‘Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls’ committed to creating a joint team to address the issues in Baroness Bertin’s Review. The team is now established and is formed by the Home Office, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Ministry of Justice, and Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The team is examining the evidence to inform the government’s approach to pornography policy carefully.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to ensure ongoing independent expert scrutiny of police conduct and the full transparent investigation of this conduct where required.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
This Government is currently reforming the statutory systems for investigating allegations of police misconduct (whether these are identified internally or via public complaints).
The most serious and sensitive matters including deaths and serious injuries and allegations of serious corruption must be referred immediately to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for assessment and, where IOPC deems it necessary, immediate, independent investigation.
The IOPC publishes summaries and reports on its work, wherever it is possible to do so and regularly publishes press releases providing updates on high profile cases. We introduced reforms to these systems via the Policing and Crime Bill and announced further steps in Chapter 4 of the Police Reform White Paper published on 26 January 2026, including working with the IOPC to increase transparency further.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how much how her Department spent on external legal advice primarily relating to transgender equality policy since 16 April 2025.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Expenditure on external legal advice is recorded by the Department in line with standard accounting practices. Since 16 April 2025, the Office for Equality and Opportunity has incurred costs for legal advice on a range of policy matters, including the Equality Act 2010.