Became Member: 29th June 2001
Left House: 2nd June 2020 (Retired)
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Baroness Howe of Idlicote, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
A bill to bring into force the remaining sections of Part 3 of the Digital Economy Act 2017
Baroness Howe of Idlicote has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
The Crown Prosecution Service has prosecuted the importation of child sex dolls under the provisions of the Customs Consolidation Act 1876, in conjunction with the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, where there is sufficient evidence to do so and a prosecution is required in the public interest. The CPS intends to issue guidance to assist prosecutors considering such allegations shortly.
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Once the appropriate remedial actions have been undertaken to correct a procedural error announced on 20th June, we will announce further details on timings for commencement of age verification for online pornography, giving stakeholders sufficient time to prepare.
The Government Equalities Office has commissioned research exploring legal pornography use and its influence on harmful behaviours and attitudes towards women and girls. The research is currently in the fieldwork phase and will be published in autumn 2019.
There are a number of existing pieces of research on the impact of pornography on young people and views towards age verification. S26(b) of the Digital Economy Act provides the regulator with the ability to carry out, commission or support research which it considers appropriate.
Age verification for online pornography is a world-leading measure to protect our children from adult content which is currently far too easy to access online. The Government, and the British Board of Film Classification as the regulator, are taking the time to get the implementation of this policy right and ensure it is effective.
The government recently announced that from 15 July commercial providers of online pornography will be required by law to carry out robust age -verification checks on users, to ensure that they are 18 or over.
The Gambling Commission’s Young People & Gambling 2018 report was based on a survey completed by 2,865 children in schools in England, Scotland and Wales. Of these, 37 children were identified as problem gamblers. The data was then weighted by gender, age and region. Where sample sizes for an age group were particularly small (for example, only 66 children aged 16 completed the survey, of which two were identified as problem gamblers) these children had large weights in the final dataset. Estimates about rates or numbers of problem gamblers should therefore be treated with caution.
Due to the small numbers both of children participating in any given gambling activity, and of problem gamblers identified by the survey, it is not possible to provide robust problem gambling rates on a per activity basis, including for those legally playing the National Lottery.
Of the 37 respondents identified as problem gamblers, 33 had on at least one occasion in the past 12 months spent their own money on an activity which is regulated under the Gambling Act 2005.
The Gambling Commission’s Young People & Gambling 2018 report was based on a survey completed by 2,865 children in schools in England, Scotland and Wales. Of these, 37 children were identified as problem gamblers. The data was then weighted by gender, age and region. Where sample sizes for an age group were particularly small (for example, only 66 children aged 16 completed the survey, of which two were identified as problem gamblers) these children had large weights in the final dataset. Estimates about rates or numbers of problem gamblers should therefore be treated with caution.
Due to the small numbers both of children participating in any given gambling activity, and of problem gamblers identified by the survey, it is not possible to provide robust problem gambling rates on a per activity basis, including for those legally playing the National Lottery.
Of the 37 respondents identified as problem gamblers, 33 had on at least one occasion in the past 12 months spent their own money on an activity which is regulated under the Gambling Act 2005.
The Gambling Commission’s Young People & Gambling 2018 report was based on a survey completed by 2,865 children in schools in England, Scotland and Wales. Of these, 37 children were identified as problem gamblers. The data was then weighted by gender, age and region. Where sample sizes for an age group were particularly small (for example, only 66 children aged 16 completed the survey, of which two were identified as problem gamblers) these children had large weights in the final dataset. Estimates about rates or numbers of problem gamblers should therefore be treated with caution.
Due to the small numbers both of children participating in any given gambling activity, and of problem gamblers identified by the survey, it is not possible to provide robust problem gambling rates on a per activity basis, including for those legally playing the National Lottery.
Of the 37 respondents identified as problem gamblers, 33 had on at least one occasion in the past 12 months spent their own money on an activity which is regulated under the Gambling Act 2005.
Of the 60 foreign unlicensed online gambling websites which the Gambling Commission wrote to, 3 obtained a licence; 41 ceased offering facilities for gambling; and 11 were subject to payment blocking by payment providers. The remainder are the subject of ongoing enforcement activity by the Gambling Commission.
Since the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014 came into force there have been 11 occasions where the Gambling Commission has asked payment providers to prevent payments to online gambling website operators not licensed in the UK but believed to be transacting with consumers in Great Britain. On all 11 occasions the payment provider either terminated their relationship with the unlicensed operator or took steps to ensure that the unlicensed gambling website was no longer available to consumers in Great Britain.
In addition, the Gambling Commission are aware of additional instances where payment providers have, of their own initiative, terminated agreements with unlicensed gambling websites transacting with consumers in Great Britain. The Commission are unable to quantify these instances because payment providers are not obliged to report these cases unless the action is instigated by the Commission.
The Gambling Commission monitors this through the complaints received from customers and licensed operators, and other sources of intelligence. It is not possible to state precisely how many individual unlicensed websites there are, however, where websites are identified that are offering facilities for gambling to customers in Britain without the appropriate licence the Commission will take action to ensure they cease these activities. Since November 2014 the Commission has written to approximately 60 foreign online gambling websites, to remind them of the legal position and require them to immediately cease their activities in Great Britain.
For the purposes of protecting children from viewing or listening to unsuitable material, section one of the Broadcasting Code defines children as those aged under fifteen years. For the purporses of safeguarding children involved in programmes, the Code protects all young people under the age of eighteen.
Section One of the Broadcasting Code serves to protect children from unsuitable content in television and radio services. The rules in this section include specific provisions, and cover areas such as drugs, smoking, violence and dangerous behaviour, offensive language, sexual material and nudity. The rules also specifically protect children before the watershed on television at 9pm and at times when they are particularly likely to be listening to radio services. Ofcom enforces these rules robustly, and can impose statutory sanctions on any broadcaster that breaches them.
From 1 January 2016, Video on Demand (VOD) services will be regulated by Ofcom, following an internal review to ensure the regulation of broadcast is as effective and efficient as possible, for the benefit of customers, audiences, and the industry. Ofcom will act as the sole regulator for VOD services, rather than two separate bodies carrying out this work, creating operational efficiencies and allowing editorial content on VOD services to sit alongside Ofcom’s existing regulation of broadcasting.
Ofcom has communicated the outcome and reasons for its decision to stakeholders. More information can be found here :http://media.ofcom.org.uk/news/2015/1520333/
From 1 January 2016, Video on Demand (VOD) services will be regulated by Ofcom, following an internal review to ensure the regulation of broadcast is as effective and efficient as possible, for the benefit of customers, audiences, and the industry. Ofcom will act as the sole regulator for VOD services, rather than two separate bodies carrying out this work, creating operational efficiencies and allowing editorial content on VOD services to sit alongside Ofcom’s existing regulation of broadcasting.
Ofcom has communicated the outcome and reasons for its decision to stakeholders. More information can be found here :http://media.ofcom.org.uk/news/2015/1520333/
The Government remains committed to improving the safety of children online and continues to make significant progress in a variety of areas. The Government is working through the multi-stakeholder UK Council for Child Internet Safety to drive further progress, and maintain our position as a world leader in child internet safety.
At the “We Protect Summit” next month, we are seeking to promote a ModelNational Response that will provide guidance and support to countries on thecapabilities they need to have in place to combat online child sexual exploitation – which will in turn improve global coordination and our capability to act to protect the safety and human rights of children all over the world.
This will inform work on the relevant aspects of the 2015 National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review.
Throughout the negotiations of the Telecoms Single Market package, the Government pushed for the best outcome for UK consumers. The UK was instrumental in altering the original proposals on net neutrality to ensure that the outcome was a balanced, principles-based package that protects the open internet, while supporting innovation and keeping the UK’s current world class child protection measures in place.
We are considering the best method to ensure continuity for our filters regime and will be providing an update in due course.
The Prime Minister announced on 29 July that there would be a consultation on the Government’s manifesto commitment to require age verification for websites containing pornographic material. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is currently preparing the consultation documents.
I would like to thank the Noble Lady for her tireless efforts in this area and hope she will engage in the consultation when it is launched for publication later this year.
In early 2019, the Department for Transport completed an evidence review of pavement parking in England, looking at the extent of the problem, the effectiveness of the current legislation and options for change. Department officials consulted with a wide range of stakeholders, including Guide Dogs, The Royal National Institute of Blind People and Living Streets, to ensure the safety of disabled pedestrians was considered in the review process.
Evidence from that review was provided to the Transport Select Committee as part of their inquiry into pavement parking in summer 2019. The Government has now responded to the committee setting out our intention to carry out a public consultation on possible solutions to this complex problem. The options include allowing local authorities with civil enforcement powers to enforce against unnecessary obstruction of the pavement, and introducing a London-style pavement parking prohibition across England.
As policy responsibility for relationship issues has moved between departments several times since 1996, the information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
The policy responsibility for relationship issues currently sits with the Department for Work and Pensions. The Department does not make grants under section 22 of the Family Law Act (1996). However, we have funded a range of work to help couples (including those who are married) to improve the quality of their relationships.
Since responsibility for this area moved to the Department, we have spent the following in each financial year:
2014/15 - £7.5 million
2015/16 - £11.2 million
2016/17 - £6.3 million
2017/18 - £5.24 million
2018/19 - £15.85 million
2019/20 current forecast - £10.2 million
Currently, these services are focused on the specific issue of parental conflict, and are delivered through our Reducing Parental Conflict programme.
The Health and Social Care Act 2012 requires the Secretary of State to publish and lay before Parliament its Mandate to the NHS Commissioning Board (known as NHS England). Before specifying any objectives or requirements in the Mandate, the Secretary of State must consult NHS England, Healthwatch England and any other persons he considers appropriate.
I announced on 22 July 2014 in a Written Ministerial Statement (HL Deb, column WS124-5) that the Government proposes to uphold all of the existing objectives in the current Mandate and maintain a stable Mandate for 2015-16. This will enable the National Health Service to build on its achievements and make further progress on the ambitious agenda already set.
We have been working closely with NHS England on the approach to the Mandate and will be engaging with stakeholders over the summer, ahead of publishing and laying the final Mandate before Parliament in the autumn. The Mandate for 2015-16 will take effect from April 2015.
The Department and NHS England are taking steps to improve palliative care services, including the development of a per-patient funding model for palliative care services that aims to improve access to specialist palliative care.
NHS England has established palliative care networks across England which are supporting improvements in palliative care services and sharing of good practice. NHS Improving Quality’s (NHS IQ) Transforming End of Life Care (EoLC) in Acute Hospitals programme is also helping to drive improvements for people in hospitals, such as the wider implementation of electronic palliative care registers (EPaCCS). These can provide instant access to key information about EoLC patients to all health professionals with a need to see it. NHS IQ has set an ambition to achieve a 70% roll out of EPaCCs by 2015.
On 1 July 2014, we announced a review of choice in EoLC led by Claire Henry, Chief Executive of the National Council for Palliative Care. The Programme Board leading this work consists of representatives from charities, people with personal experience of EoLC (including carers), clinicians and policy makers. The review will undertake extensive public consultation to define what people want in EoLC services, and will provide advice to the Government on the policy initiatives required to enable people’s preferences to be met. This advice will be provided by early next year.
Holding clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to account for delivering improved outcomes for patients is a core part of the CCG assurance process. NHS England is working with NHS Improving Quality to develop better ways of using the Cancer Patient Experience Survey (CPES) data within the National Health Service in order to maximise the impact of the survey, to be able to work with successful and struggling organisations to spread best practice for example. Their intention is that the learning from this can then be transferred across all surveys to understand what the barriers are to implementing change and to showcase best practice where real improvements can be demonstrated.
The CPES survey results are delivered to every organisation so each can see how they compare to other organisations. Currently, the action plans are taken into account as part of Peer Reviews. NHS England would expect that every trust board should know its own survey results and take account of them.
We have been working closely with NHS England on the review of the NHS Outcomes Framework, and will be engaging with stakeholders over the summer ahead of publication in the autumn.
The Government has not undertaken any assessments of this kind. Local commissioners are responsible for commissioning the provision of hearing aids for mild to moderate hearing loss, based on the needs of their local population. In doing so, they will take into consideration assessments of local need and any relevant clinical guidance, which may include guidance from appropriate national bodies such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
The Home Office does not hold centrally the information requested.
The Home Office collects and publishes data on the number of arrests for notifiable offences on a financial year basis but it is not possible to separately identify those for the importation of child sex dolls.
Data on the number of arrests are published in the ‘Police Powers and Procedures, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales
Information on prosecutions and convictions is the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice.
When the NCA receives notification or referrals relating to Manga or other drawn images, or computer generated imagery (CGI) material interpreted as representing a child or children involved in sexual activity, and where the material is deemed as illegal in the UK, it is investigated by law enforcement, which may include preservation orders resulting in the material being removed. If the site is outside the UK, it is reported by the NCA to the host country via Interpol channels to take appropriate action.
The NCA does not keep statistics of action taken against websites. Action to secure the takedown of websites, where the content is wholly illegal, will if the website is hosted in the UK, be progressed by the Internet Watch Foundation. The IWF Annual Report includes statistics relating to website takedown. The NCA takes action against administrators of websites hosting illegal material and individuals uploading and accessing illegal content. Data on the number of websites taken down in other countries will be available from similar organisations to the Internet Watch Foundation in other countries.
When the NCA receives notification or referrals relating to Manga and CGI material interpreted as representing a child or children involved in sexual activity, where the material is deemed as prohibited it is investigated by law enforcement, which may include preservation orders resulting in the material being taken down.
If the site is outside the UK, it is reported by the NCA to the host country via Interpol channels to take appropriate action.
The NCA received information from the Times and assessed it for potential evidence relating to child sexual abuse, as it would with a report of child sexual abuse material from any source.
This resulted in safeguarding action taken in respect of identified children.
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The number of prosecutions and convictions under section 62 of the Coroner and Justice Act 2009 for the financial years from 2012/13 to 2016/17 can be found in the table below.
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Men and women prisoners have the same entitlements to visits. Both are eligible to family days where relevant, in addition to the normal visits entitlement. Prisons should not treat men and women prisoners differently with respect to visits solely on the basis of their gender.
Men and women prisoners have the same entitlements to visits. Both are eligible to family days where relevant, in addition to the normal visits entitlement. Prisons should not treat men and women prisoners differently with respect to visits solely on the basis of their gender.
Men and women prisoners have the same entitlements to visits. Both are eligible to family days where relevant, in addition to the normal visits entitlement. Prisons should not treat men and women prisoners differently with respect to visits solely on the basis of their gender.
The Government agrees that strong family ties are an important part of helping prisoners turn away from crime, and the recommendations from the recent Barnardo’s report are currently being considered in the context of the wider prison reforms.
All convicted prisoners have a long-standing statutory entitlement to a minimum of two visits every 28 days. In addition, prisoners may also be rewarded with additional visits for good behaviour and for engaging with their rehabilitation.
The Government agrees that strong family ties are an important part of helping prisoners turn away from crime, and the recommendations from the recent Barnardo’s report are currently being considered in the context of the wider prison reforms.
All convicted prisoners have a long-standing statutory entitlement to a minimum of two visits every 28 days. In addition, prisoners may also be rewarded with additional visits for good behaviour and for engaging with their rehabilitation.
The Government agrees that strong family ties are an important part of helping prisoners turn away from crime, and the recommendations from the recent Barnardo’s report are currently being considered in the context of the wider prison reforms.
All convicted prisoners have a long-standing statutory entitlement to a minimum of two visits every 28 days. In addition, prisoners may also be rewarded with additional visits for good behaviour and for engaging with their rehabilitation.