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Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 12 Oct 2022
Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill

"My Lords, I am pleased to speak to Amendment 28, which we have tabled in an attempt to find a constructive way forward to perhaps the greatest area of discussion throughout this Bill which has not yet been resolved—how we bring together the balance, the fairness and the efficiency that …..."
Baroness Merron - View Speech

View all Baroness Merron (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 12 Oct 2022
Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill

"My Lords, it is disappointing that the Minister has not found a way to respond to the very real, informed and evidenced points raised not just today but at previous stages. I am sure that the Minister knows full well that his response just will not do. This amendment seeks …..."
Baroness Merron - View Speech

View all Baroness Merron (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 20 Jul 2022
Gambling White Paper

"My Lords, as noble Lords have already pressed home, each delay to the long-awaited gambling White Paper potentially puts people at greater risk of falling into problem gambling, with all the human and societal costs that it brings. Does the Minister recognise that, in addition to the delayed review of …..."
Baroness Merron - View Speech

View all Baroness Merron (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Gambling White Paper
Written Question
Disinformation
Tuesday 12th July 2022

Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reach those who are (1) less engaged in current affairs, (2) vulnerable, or (3) have accessibility considerations, to help them tackle misinformation and disinformation; and how they will ensure that such groups have the necessary media literacy skills to identify misinformation or disinformation.

Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)

Her Majesty’s Government published its Online Media Literacy Strategy in July 2021, setting out plans to support the education and empowerment of people to make safe and informed choices online. The strategy has a particular focus on vulnerable users.

Through our Year 1 Online Media Literacy Strategy we established the pilot ‘Train the Trainer’ grant scheme. We administered £250,000 in funding to five media literacy organisations working with schools to adapt their resources for teachers of children with special educational needs. Three of the grantees specialise in news literacy programmes which help build resilience to misinformation and disinformation through information literacy.

Our Year 2 Action Plan announced plans to establish the Media Literacy Programme Fund which will further support media literacy organisations which are undertaking work to support vulnerable users. We have also established the expert Media Literacy Taskforce which has been charged with exploring how to extend the reach of media literacy initiatives to those who are disengaged or lack access to support.

Written Question
Internet: Safety
Monday 11th July 2022

Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Online Safety Bill's ability to ensure companies in scope are (1) supporting, and (2) improving, the media literacy skills of their users.

Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)

The Online Safety Bill includes measures to encourage regulated service providers to promote media literacy to their users. Following a recommendation from the Joint Committee which conducted the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Online Safety Bill, media literacy is now included in the risk assessment duties. This requires in-scope companies to consider how the promotion of users’ media literacy can be used to mitigate harms on their platforms.

Media literacy is also expressly referred to in Ofcom’s new transparency reporting and information gathering powers, giving Ofcom enhanced visibility of industry spending and activity related to media literacy. Social media platforms currently play a significant role in boosting media literacy, in particular with regards to the funding of programmes. This greater visibility of spending and activity in this area will therefore strengthen Ofcom’s ability to undertake its statutory duty to promote media literacy.

Written Question
Internet: Safety
Monday 11th July 2022

Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what research they have undertaken on the effectiveness of different types of media literacy initiatives in tackling (1) misinformation, and (2) disinformation.

Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)

On 16 April 2022, DCMS published the Year 2 Online Media Literacy Action Plan, setting out our media literacy work programme for the financial year 2022/23. The Action Plan announced that DCMS is establishing a media literacy research programme to bridge evidence gaps about the effectiveness of media literacy interventions, which includes initiatives tackling misinformation and disinformation. We will report on the progress of the Action Plan in due course.

Speech in Grand Committee - Thu 07 Jul 2022
Musicians and Creative Professionals: Working in the European Union

"My Lords, I am also very grateful to the noble Earl, Lord Clancarty, for securing this debate. I thank him not just for today but for all the work he has done to shine a very helpful and practical spotlight on the difficulties encountered by those in the creative industries, …..."
Baroness Merron - View Speech

View all Baroness Merron (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Musicians and Creative Professionals: Working in the European Union
Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 05 Jul 2022
Clearview AI Inc

"My Lords, as is so often the case, companies such as Clearview AI operate across the world and may attract the attention of multiple regulators. Given that these bodies may exchange information, can the Minister confirm whether a firm’s bad behaviour in another jurisdiction will provide grounds for investigation by …..."
Baroness Merron - View Speech

View all Baroness Merron (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Clearview AI Inc
Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 29 Jun 2022
Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill

"My Lords, I was very pleased to put my name to the amendment tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Harding. As she says, this is simple, limited in scope and extremely practical. It is a clarification of and an improvement to this aspect of the Bill, which works for all …..."
Baroness Merron - View Speech

View all Baroness Merron (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 29 Jun 2022
Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill

"My Lords, the issue of valuation, as we have heard clearly today, generates one of the most significant ranges of concerns. Noble Lords have been extremely helpful in unpacking the issues, whichever side they may be on in this debate. I will focus on Amendment 21, which I am pleased …..."
Baroness Merron - View Speech

View all Baroness Merron (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill