Asked by: Baroness Warsi (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of current safeguards at social media companies in detecting AI-generated disinformation targeting minority communities.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Online Safety Act gives services duties to protect all UK users from illegal content, including illegal AI-generated disinformation. These protections apply to all users, including minority communities who are often disproportionately targeted by harmful online content.
Ofcom’s illegal content codes of practice strengthen the safeguards by requiring services to reduce exposure to illegal content. With Ofcom, we are monitoring the implementation of the Act and platforms’ compliance.
This Government recognises the challenges of detecting AI-generated content and is partnering with industry and academia to support technical innovation.
Asked by: Baroness Warsi (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to commission research into the scale and effect of Islamophobic disinformation originating from foreign states on public attitudes in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
At present, the government does not have plans to commission research specifically on the impact of Islamophobic disinformation on public attitudes. However, the government remains committed to addressing religiously motivated hate crime and promoting social cohesion.
Asked by: Baroness Warsi (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with technology companies regarding preventing foreign governments from using artificial intelligence to run online disinformation campaigns in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government engages regularly with technology companies to make clear their responsibility to keep users safe.
The Online Safety Act requires all in-scope companies to tackle illegal content, including state-sponsored disinformation that meets the threshold of the Foreign Interference Offence. Where such content is generated using artificial intelligence, it would be captured as the Act applies regardless of how the content is produced.
Asked by: Baroness Warsi (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on community cohesion in England and Wales of foreign-backed Islamophobic online disinformation campaigns.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Anti-Muslim hatred is abhorrent and has no place in our society, no one should ever be a victim of hatred because of their religion or belief. The Government has established an independent working group to advise government on a definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia, and how to best understand, quantify and define prejudice, discrimination, and hate crime targeted against Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim. The British Muslim Trust will also receive funding to provide a comprehensive service to monitor anti-Muslim hatred and support victims.
Furthermore, we are committed to bridging divisions between communities and challenging hatred and that is why we have launched the Plan for Neighbourhoods programme, providing £5bn over 10 years to support up to 250 places which will help build strong, resilient and integrated communities. We know that malign actors deliberately seek to amplify hateful and divisive narratives online to influence audiences, including in the UK. For this reason, The Foreign Interference Offence has been added as a priority offence in the Online Safety Act, meaning all in-scope companies must take systemic action against illegal state-sponsored disinformation and interference online.
Asked by: Baroness Warsi (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of British nationals travelling to Israel to fight in the Israel Defence Forces.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK recognises the right of British nationals with more than one nationality to serve in the legitimately recognised armed forces of their additional nationalities. This includes the Israel Defence Force.
With respect to the current conflict in Gaza, Section 4 of the Foreign Enlistment Act 1870 makes it an offence for a British subject to enlist in the military of a foreign state at war with another foreign state with which the UK is at peace. That prohibition does not extend, however, to enlistment in a foreign government's forces which are engaged in a civil war or combating terrorism or internal uprisings. The Occupied Palestinian Territories are not currently recognised as a state by the UK. The 1870 Act therefore does not apply in this instance.
Asked by: Baroness Warsi (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what arrangements are in place to engage with British nationals returning to the UK after serving in the Israel Defence Forces to ascertain whether they have been involved in any breaches to the Geneva Convention.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK recognises the right of British nationals with more than one nationality to serve in the legitimately recognised armed forces of their additional nationalities. This includes the Israel Defence Force.
Anyone who travels to conflict zones to engage in unlawful activity should expect to be investigated upon their return to the UK. Decisions on prosecutions are taken independently by the police and Crown Prosecution Service on a case-by-case basis.
Asked by: Baroness Warsi (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any risk posed to national security and national cohesion of returning British nationals who have served in the Israel Defence Forces.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK recognises the right of British nationals with more than one nationality to serve in the legitimately recognised armed forces of their additional nationalities. This includes the Israel Defence Force.
Anyone who travels to conflict zones to engage in unlawful activity should expect to be investigated upon their return to the UK. Decisions on prosecutions are taken independently by the police and Crown Prosecution Service on a case-by-case basis.
Asked by: Baroness Warsi (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many British or dual British nationals are currently serving in the Israel Defence Forces.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We are aware of reports of UK citizens travelling to fight for the Israel Defence Force (IDF), but the Government does not estimate the numbers of those who have done so.
The UK recognises the right of British nationals with more than one nationality to serve in the legitimately recognised armed forces of their additional nationalities.
Asked by: Baroness Warsi (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish all aspects of the legal advice submitted to them on the formulation of a new definition of extremism, which was published on 14 March.
Answered by Baroness Swinburne
In line with the practice of successive administrations, legal advice is not normally disclosed.
Asked by: Baroness Warsi (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many British citizens are currently in Gaza; and what steps they are taking to assist (1) British citizens, and (2) immediate family members of British citizens, who are trapped in Gaza.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We have helped to support over 315 British nationals, their dependants and relevant visa holders to leave Gaza so far. A small number remain. There may be others who have not sought our help and we understand that others have left without our assistance.
We have been working with the Israeli and Egyptian authorities to try and ensure remaining British nationals and other eligible persons, as set out in our Travel Advice, who seek our support to leave Gaza are cleared to cross as soon as possible.
The UK government has also been working with partners across the region to secure the release of hostages, including British nationals and their families.