Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking with stakeholders to help take anti-Semitic conspiracy theories (a) on social media and (b) elsewhere online.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Online Safety Bill will apply to all companies that allow users to post content online or to interact with each other, as well as search services.
All companies in scope of the Bill will have duties to proactively tackle priority illegal content, including illegal anti-semitic content, and will need to prevent their services from being used to facilitate or commission these offences. They will also be required to swiftly remove other illegal content where there is a victim and it is flagged to them. In addition, Category 1 Service, which will include the largest social media companies, will need to ensure they properly enforce their terms of service, and provide adult users with tools to help them avoid content that is abusive or incites hatred on the basis of religion.
This means that the Bill will offer adult users a ‘triple shield’ of protection against anti-semitic content. Firstly, regulated services will need to take robust action against such content where it meets a criminal threshold. Secondly, Category 1 services will be required to take down anti-semitic content that is in breach of their own terms of service, and third, they must provide adults with greater controls over content they may not wish to see, reducing the risk that they encounter anti-semitic content.
Finally, the Online Safety Bill will require all services which are likely to be accessed by children to provide safety measures for child users. Those safety measures will need to protect children from inappropriate and harmful content and activity, including anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 December 2022 to Question 104206 on Social Media: Children, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of parents' rights of (a) access to and (b) ownership of their deceased children's digital profiles and posts on social media.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government recognises the difficulties that some bereaved parents have experienced when accessing their loved ones' data. The question of parental rights to access of children’s digital profiles and posts is complex, so we are considering this matter with the Ministry of Justice and social media organisations, before deciding on any next steps.
Currently, coroners have extensive powers under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 that allow them to require information for their inquests (which could include relevant digital data following the death of a child). Any party whom the coroner considers to have a sufficient interest in a coronial investigation, which may include bereaved parents, therefore has the right to receive documents and other evidence from the coroner which may be used in the inquest.
Outside of coronial investigations, some social media companies might act voluntarily to share certain information about the material a child was viewing with bereaved families. However, others may operate policies of non-disclosure to third parties (including parents), unless a user takes active steps to nominate a person who may access his or her account after they die or there is a legal obligation to disclose the data. Some social media users might be concerned about the thought of disclosing private information or other digital assets to third parties after their death, and so an automatic right of access is unlikely to be appropriate in every case. Additionally, companies may have to consider other legal issues when responding to data disclosure requests, for example the data protection rights of individuals that were in contact with the deceased person prior to their death.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the report by the Government Office for Science entitled Large-scale computing: the case for greater UK coordination, published in September 2021, whether her Department has taken recent steps to increase the UK's share of the global supercomputing capacity.
Answered by Paul Scully
In response to the 2021 report by the Government Office for Science (Large-scale computing: the case for greater UK coordination), the government launched an independent review into the future of compute in June 2022. The review will produce recommendations on the interventions required to ensure that the UK can fully exploit world-class compute infrastructure. It will contain an overview of the international advanced compute landscape and look at how the UK can collaborate internationally to strengthen its domestic compute ecosystem and promote the UKs international stance in tech and innovation. The Government will respond to the review after publication later this year.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Answer of 22 January 2022 to Question 111571 on Football: Safety, what recent progress her Department has made on ensuring fan safety at football grounds; and if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of safety issues experienced by Newcastle United fans at Hillsborough on 7 January 2023.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The safety of spectators at sporting events is of the highest importance to His Majesty’s Government. We continue to work closely with the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA), clubs, governing bodies and local authorities to ensure that football fans can continue to enjoy the sport whilst attending matches safely.
The Football Association are currently investigating reports of overcrowding at the Leppings Lane End at Hillsborough Stadium on 7 January 2023. The ultimate responsibility for the safety of spectators lies at all times with the ground management and the SGSA remains in contact with the club, Sheffield City Council and the Safety Advisory Group as the facts are established and any implications for safety management arrangements at Hillsborough are considered. We are in contact with the SGSA on this matter.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with (a) the FA, (b) Sheffield Wednesday Football Club and (c) the Football Supporters Association on fan safety at Hillsborough Stadium.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Football Association are investigating reports of overcrowding at the Leppings Lane End at Hillsborough Stadium on 7 January 2023. The ultimate responsibility for the safety of spectators lies at all times with the ground management and the SGSA remains in contact with the club, Sheffield City Council and the Safety Advisory Group as the facts are established and any implications for safety management arrangements at Hillsborough are considered. We are in contact with the SGSA on this matter.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to events at the Leppings Lane End at Hillsborough Stadium involving Newcastle United supporters on 7 January 2023, if her Department will take immediate steps with relevant stakeholders to improve fan safety at that stadium.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Football Association are investigating reports of overcrowding at the Leppings Lane End at Hillsborough Stadium on 7 January 2023.
The SGSA has a statutory responsibility for the issuing of licences to sports grounds for designated football matches in England and Wales, under the Football Spectators Act 1989. Grounds that are issued a licence, including Hillsborough Stadium, are all required to meet the same standards in order to safely admit spectators. The SGSA monitors this closely for all grounds that they licence.
The SGSA will remain in contact with the club, Sheffield City Council and the Safety Advisory Group as the facts are established and any implications for safety management arrangements at Hillsborough are considered. We are in contact with the SGSA on this matter.
The safety of spectators at sporting events is of the highest importance to His Majesty’s Government and we will continue to work closely with all relevant authorities to ensure that football fans can continue to enjoy the sport whilst attending matches safely.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has set a timetable for the development of UK-based exascale supercomputing capabilities.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Future of Compute review, independently led by Professor Zoubin Ghahramani, will produce recommendations on the UKs compute capability over the next decade. It will outline the interventions required, such as investment into an exascale facility, to ensure that UK researchers and businesses can fully exploit world-class compute infrastructure to support science, innovation and growth. The Government will respond to the review after publication later this year.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps her Department has taken to provide legal protections to UK citizens personal data that may be intercepted by large, US companies.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Under UK law, all organisations in the UK that process personal information have to ensure that high standards of data protection are maintained when personal data is transferred overseas.
DCMS is working with the US Government to put in place a durable UK-US Data Bridge that upholds the UK’s high standards of data protection.
Earlier this year, the ICO issued the UK’s International Data Transfer Agreement to help organisations safely transfer personal data across borders.
The United States and the UK are also collaborating on a bilateral innovation prize challenge focused on advancing privacy-enhancing technologies to help mature and facilitate adoption of these technologies.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the press release published 13 December 2022 on 5G and 6G technology, when the government expects the new West Midlands Telecom lab to be completed and operational.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is aiming to establish the initial operating capability of the new UK Telecoms Lab in Spring/Summer 2023.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the press release published 13 December 2022 on 5G and 6G technology, what the criteria were that her Department used to allocate £28 million to the three universities for 5G and 6G R&D.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
DCMS ran a fair and open competition published through GOV.UK - Five consortia submitted bids - with the three highest scoring bids selected for funding. DCMS assessed bids against questions relating to:
Vision and Approach
Organisation(s) Suitability and Management
Outcomes, Engagement and Benefits
Delivery Plan
Financial and Commercial
Full guidance is available here.