European Council

Rehman Chishti Excerpts

Monday 23rd October 2017 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

Of course we want to ensure that the City of London retains its place as the world’s leading financial centre. That has been reconfirmed recently. I say to those who think that the City of London will be damaged by our leaving the European Union that the very reasons why the City is so important in an international financial sense are the very reasons why it is important for the City to retain that financial services provision for the rest of the EU as well.

[Rehman Chishti (Gillingham and Rainham) (Con)]

Page 7 of the Europe Council conclusions refers to

“combating terrorism and online crime”

and

“readiness to support appropriate measures at EU level”.

Germany is introducing legislation to have extremist material taken down within 24 hours. Is that something that the United Kingdom will be doing and urging other European countries to do? We are all in it together to defeat these poisonous ideologies.

[The Prime Minister]

The taking down of material is very important, as my hon. Friend says, and through the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit we have been taking down significant amounts of material. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary is working with the tech industry and with internet service providers, and they have established a global forum. We want to ensure that this material is taken down not within 24 hours, but within one or two hours. That is what we are working towards with the industry.