Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of the (1) investigation, and (2) prosecution, of online racist abuse by the (a) police, and  (b) Crown Prosecution Service.

We have robust legislation in place to deal with internet trolls, cyber-stalking and harassment, and perpetrators of grossly offensive, obscene, or menacing behaviour.

We have published the Full Government Response to the Online Harms White Paper, which includes specific measures to work with private companies and ensure that they are held to account for tackling illegal activity and content, such as hate crime, harassment, and cyber-stalking, as well as activity and content which may not be illegal but is nonetheless highly damaging to individuals (legal but harmful). The Full Government Response will be followed by legislation, which we are working on at pace, and will be ready this year.

The Home Office also funds a Police Online Hate Crime Hub to improve the police response to victims of online hate crime.