Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill (Carry-over Extension)

Chris Vince Excerpts

Carry-over motion
Wednesday 4th November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Ian Murray]

The Liberal Democrat spokesperson mentioned the same European Union regulations. We need to do what is in the best interests of businesses in the United Kingdom. The message is pretty clear that all businesses must have cyber-security at the top of their agenda—it should be in every boardroom and we keep encouraging them to do so.

[Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)]

Madam Deputy Speaker, you missed out on me making a very long speech, so you are very lucky. Will the Minister briefly touch on what liability there will be for frontier model providers, such as OpenAI, who breach their duties, for example I am thinking of the Hugging Face incident in July 2026?

[Ian Murray]

My hon. Friend from Harlow—I am surprised he did not mention Harlow in his contribution, so I thought I had better put it on the record or otherwise he will be struck out—makes a good point. However, we can also see that AI provides a good solution to this problem. Because of the PHP incidents in the past few weeks, we have identified that there were holes in that particular system and then those holes were patched and plugged, so while AI is a big cyber-security problem, it is also a big part of the solution. This Bill is here to give us better cyber-security and better resilience across all our economy.

Question put and agreed to.

Sporting Events Bill [Lords]

Chris Vince Excerpts

Report stage & 3rd reading
Wednesday 4th November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call Chris Vince.

[Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I think we are seeing a first in this House—a debate in which the Member for Harlow is called first. I welcome it. You are in a good mood, Mr Speaker, because it is Lancashire Day today.

[Mr Speaker]

No, it is not.

[Chris Vince]

Well, as a sort of adopted Yorkshireman, I look forward to celebrating it with you.

It is a pleasure to speak in this debate. As you know, Mr Speaker, I am a keen football supporter, and although the fortunes of both Harlow Town and Leeds United have been somewhat inconsistent in recent years—I know that the hon. Member for Bridlington and The Wolds (Charlie Dewhirst), who is sitting opposite me, is looking forward to a positive Farke-led revolution—I feel an immense sense of pride when the country hosts sporting events. I think not only of the 2012 Olympics; I am old enough to remember Euro ’96, when football came home, but perhaps not in all the ways we hoped it would.

I also pay tribute to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Wigan (Lisa Nandy), for her commitment and dedication to sport in this country. Whether it is grassroots football teams such as the league-winning Roydon FC or our Ballon d’Or winning England captain Harry Kane—

[The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)]

Or Wigan Warriors!

[Mr Speaker]

Order!

[Chris Vince]

I know that sport, and indeed the fantastic rugby league players who I know, Mr Speaker, you regularly cheer on—

[Lisa Nandy]

That is not rugby league!

[Chris Vince]

Sadly, we do not have any rugby league in Harlow—

[Lisa Nandy]

They do not have it in Chorley either!

[Mr Speaker]

Order!

[Chris Vince]

Maybe between us, we can change that. [Interruption.] I feel like I have started an argument between Mr Speaker and the Secretary of State that the Secretary of State is not going to win, so I will move on quickly.

Sport has the opportunity not only to improve people’s lives, but to change people’s lives. I have formed friendships by standing at Harlow Town football club week in, week out, and I am forever grateful for having had that opportunity. This Bill will strengthen the UK’s position as a world-leading host of major sporting events by establishing a legal framework that makes it easier to host international competitions, and strengthen our advantage when bidding for future tournaments.

I welcome some of the suggestions made by the Liberal Democrats in their amendments, but I believe that the Bill in its current form already addresses unauthorised ticket touting. We need to see the back of that menace. We want real sports fans to have the opportunity to go to these sporting events.

--- Later in debate ---

[Stephanie Peacock]

I am grateful to the Select Committee, and indeed the hon. Member, for their work. I really appreciated their work on major events, and I listened to most of the evidence that her Committee took. We are absolutely committed to getting that Bill on the statute book, and I will come on to that in a moment.

I am grateful to the former Minister for Sport, the hon. Member for Droitwich and Evesham (Nigel Huddleston), for all his work, and for his speech. I believe he asked why transport is not included for recurrent events. We have had a conversation about this with stakeholders, and we are confident that recurrent events already have robust transport provisions in place. This issue was raised in detail in Committee, and I have written to the relevant Transport Minister about those concerns.

I am grateful to the hon. Member for Southend East and Rochford (Mr Alaba) and my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Chris Vince) for their support. Their speeches highlighted that major events contribute to communities across our country. The hon. Member for Eastleigh (Liz Jarvis) asked about small businesses. We draw the zone much more tightly for events such as Euro 2028 than for recurrent events, but I am happy to speak to the hon. Member about this.

Sorry, Madam Deputy Speaker, but I am going to have to take a moment—

[Chris Vince]

Does the Minister agree with me that it is hugely important to celebrate all levels of sport, from grassroots football clubs such as Roydon FC to the mighty Harlow Town and, of course, Leeds United?

[Stephanie Peacock]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend, who makes a really important point, and I am grateful to the House for its understanding.

The amendments tabled by the hon. Member for Frome and East Somerset (Anna Sabine) deal with ticketing. As I said to the Chair of the Select Committee, we are committed to tackling industrial-scale touting, but this Bill is not the place to do so. Our upcoming ticket tout ban Bill will do that.

Media Green Paper

Chris Vince Excerpts

Tuesday 8th September 2026 Westminster Hall

[James Wild]

My right hon. Friend makes a powerful point about the licence fee and the independence that it provides.

Ministers need to focus on consumers and citizens. Platforms are built around personalisation, with individuals determining the sources of content they trust and want to access. User controls and labelling already exist. The Green Paper refers to misinformation and disinformation around the horrific Southport killings, in part to justify these proposals.

However, we should note that the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation said that the information released by authorities after those appalling attacks was inadequate and led to those who wanted to spread disinformation being able to do so. Police forces now share more information as a result. Furthermore, where there are major incidents, people tend to turn to more traditional news outlets, whether that is local papers, radio stations or public service media.

More broadly, Ofcom found that more than three quarters of people think it important to check different sources if they are unsure whether a news story is true. That provides some reassurance.

[Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)]

I am quite concerned about the increasing use of AI-generated summaries online, which rely on what we call trusted sources. I appreciate the hon. Gentleman’s points about what defines a trusted source, and I am sure the Minister will answer all his important questions, but I am concerned that in future, if people become more reliant on AI summaries rather than on primary sources, those trusted sources might no longer exist. Does he recognise the importance of people not relying on AI summaries to get their news?

[James Wild]

Absolutely. The hon. Gentleman illustrates the point made by my right hon. Friend the Member for Maldon. We should be having more and much longer debates about precisely these issues. I hope the Minister will at least rule out any notion that to qualify for prominence, if such a scheme is put in place, a publisher would need to sign up to a state-approved regulator.

On the proposals for the digital switch-off from either 2034 or 2044, latest Barb data shows that 2.6 million households rely on terrestrial TV because they do not have broadband or internet-connected TV. However, usage is also declining; we have heard about the pressure that that puts on broadcasters using those channels to get to a declining level of households. For many of my constituents, including older people, people in low-income households, and those in rural and remote areas, Freeview remains essential. By 2034, according to the impact assessment in the Green Paper, 1.5 million households could still be reliant on traditional broadcast platforms.

There are serious challenges to be addressed, not least in respect of proper broadband access. The Government must therefore have answers and must have what the Secretary of State referred to as “watertight” plans. Any switch-off date should be treated as conditional, setting out the tests that need to be met and the support for all those who may otherwise be left behind. I call on the Minister to provide clarity on the timeline for the decision on switch-off, and a commitment that vulnerable and rural communities will not be left behind.

On the broader issue of the prominence of public service media content on video platforms, chapter 4 of the Green Paper states that the Government’s preference is that that be subject to “industry-led, voluntary agreements”. That must be the right approach. YouTube is already talking to public service providers on that basis, but there is no attempt in the Green Paper to qualify any legislative costs or impact should the Government go down that route. It is clear that transferring the concept from linear broadcast and prominence to that approach without imposing excessive costs will be challenging. In conclusion, the Green Paper focuses on a changing landscape and poses a series of fundamental questions that we need to spend more time considering.

Online Safety

Chris Vince Excerpts

Tuesday 8th September 2026 Commons Chamber

[Lisa Nandy]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. As a rule, I think this Government have taken that approach; we want to have a much closer relationship with our closest friends and neighbours across Europe and to repair some of the needless damage that was done to that relationship under previous Governments. When it comes to tech and what happens online, it is absolutely essential that we work with other like-minded countries in order to move in step, so I can certainly reassure him on that point.

[Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)]

I welcome the Secretary of State’s statement. Unfortunately, young people and their parents in my constituency do not believe that the big tech companies are taking their responsibilities seriously. I speak to young people in schools across Harlow who are concerned that it is very easy to flout the age verification rules. In much the same way as it is a shop’s responsibility to ensure that no one under the age of 18 buys alcohol, can we make it very clear to the big tech companies that it is their responsibility to ensure that underage people cannot use their software and sites?

[Lisa Nandy]

I thank my hon. Friend for that point. I think the views of his constituents in Harlow are probably mirrored in every constituency across the country. I want to be really clear about our message today to parents who have been struggling with this matter for so long: you are not on your own. We believe that we are as responsible for keeping their children safe as they are, and we are stepping up to take the necessary action, whether that is through support, advice and training for parents and children, or through the reforms and measures that I have outlined today—we are the first country in the world to do so, and I strongly suspect that we will not be the last.

National Youth Strategy

Chris Vince Excerpts

Wednesday 8th July 2026 Westminster Hall

[Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms McVey. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Huddersfield (Harpreet Uppal) for securing this really important debate. I also thank my two work experience students, Nicoleta and Lyra. They are both from Harlow and are in the Public Gallery today. They have prepared me a very thorough and informative briefing ahead of this debate, so my contribution might be slightly more informed than usual.

When I met with Nicoleta and Lyra before this debate, they spoke about their experiences of taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s scheme, which obviously celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. I want to read out some of their thoughts on the scheme and the difference that it made to them and their friends and peers. Nicoleta completed the Duke of Edinburgh’s bronze award while she was studying at Burnt Mill academy. She said:

“I would describe it as very insightful and gave me an opportunity to give back to community by mentoring primary school children as part of the volunteering section.”

Lyra completed the Duke of Edinburgh’s bronze award while she was at Stewards academy, which is also in Harlow. She said that

“taking part in a local theatre production as part of the skills section, was very insightful and ignited a new passion. As part of the volunteering being able to volunteer at Harlow Youth Council improved political interest and involvement with the town.”

I think we can all agree that that is admirable and fantastic.

I have a few points with regard to the national youth strategy. I welcome the publication of the first long-term youth strategy that we have had in over two decades. Following a lot of lobbying from me and others, I am really pleased that young carers were included in that strategy, because it is hugely important that groups like that are listened to and their voices are heard.

I emphasise to the Minister the huge importance of prevention rather than intervention, and of ensuring that every young person, regardless of their postcode, has the opportunity to be involved in the schemes that have been mentioned. We can all appreciate, as Members across the Chamber have commented, the huge difference that taking part in schemes like the Duke of Edinburgh’s scheme can make to young people’s confidence and their ability to be part of the community.

Finally—I know I am running out of time—I am really delighted that Harlow will be the home of a Young Futures hub funded by this Labour Government. I am also delighted that this Labour Government have an ambition to halve the enrichment participation gap between disadvantaged young people and their peers.

Media Green Paper

Chris Vince Excerpts

Wednesday 24th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

We come to the birthday boy himself, Chris Vince.

[Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)]

Thank you, Mr Speaker—21 again. I thank the Secretary of State for her response to this urgent question, and particularly for her emphasis on the importance online literacy, which, as a former teacher—Chris Vince bingo in full force today—I know to be really important. I pay tribute to Michael Casey, editor of Your Harlow, an online newspaper that prints tens of thousands of articles every year, and that filled the hole left by Harlow Star when it closed down.

I would like to build on the question from my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow South (Gordon McKee), who said that more and more people are using AI summaries to get their news, and are not relying on trusted sources. Is there not a danger that if we, and the AI companies, do not provide support to trusted sources, they will not be able to continue?

Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Vince Excerpts

Thursday 18th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Lisa Nandy]

I am very happy to confirm that the bursaries will continue in the 2026-27 academic year, and we have been able to increase the amount of funding available, which is a recognition of the cost pressures that families face. I very much agree with the hon. Member that bursaries are absolutely essential, which is why we have protected them even in these difficult financial circumstances. However, she will recognise the difficult circumstances we inherited from the previous Government. We have done our best to protect such things, and in the case of music and dance, we have been able to uplift the funding available.

[Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)]

Will the Secretary of State join me in congratulating Sam Ashford and the Livewire theatre in Harlow on 25 years of supporting young people into music, dance and the theatre with its hard-hitting shows? I pay particular tribute to the work it did to support young people remotely during covid.

[Lisa Nandy]

Of course, I will. I appreciate the efforts that my hon. Friend puts in not just to ensure that Harlow is referenced in this Chamber at every opportunity, but, sincerely, to change the lives of young people in Harlow and across the whole country. He really is one of the best champions for young people in this House.

--- Later in debate ---

[Marsha De Cordova]

I thank my hon. Friend for his question and note all his work in this area; he is a true champion for disabled people, especially since coming to this place. The opening of the Changing Places toilet in St Paul’s is incredibly welcome and, as he points out, it will open up access to that historic space for many people to enjoy. I am pleased to say that places like Blackburn cathedral already have such a facility, and Lambeth Palace, just over the river, is also soon to open a new space. I encourage all hon. Members to contact their local churches to encourage them to look into the disability project and to apply for the parish accessibility fund, so that they can improve their welcome to all their communities.

[Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)]

4. What steps the Church of England is taking to help support families with the cost of living.

[Marsha De Cordova]

The Church delivers community projects across the country to support individuals and families with the cost of living. These programmes offer practical support, companionship and advice to those facing hardship, demonstrating the Church’s ongoing commitment to serving and standing with all our communities nationwide.

[Chris Vince]

I want to pay tribute to three fantastic women in Harlow: Caroline Hatton, Alison Taylor and, in particular, the Rev. Jokey Poyntz at my local church, St Mary’s in Little Parndon, who for many years has run a church furniture fund—she has got me to move the odd sofa—providing furniture to those in need across our town. What work are the Church Commissioners doing to recognise the work of local churches, like St Mary’s in Little Parndon, and to learn from that good practice?

[Marsha De Cordova]

I join my hon. Friend in noting the incredible work in his constituency and the work of Rev. Jokey at both St Paul’s and St Mary’s churches. I believe that St Paul’s runs the Bounty café, in association with the Harlow food bank.

[Chris Vince]

indicated assent.

[Marsha De Cordova]

Wonderful! That café offers low-cost refreshments and light lunches at an affordable cost. My hon. Friend’s constituency really is a fantastic example of community support in the Church, and I know what a champion of that work he is. I encourage Members across the House, if they have not already done so, to make contact with their local churches to see the work they are doing in their community and their huge impact locally.

Sir David Attenborough: Permanent National Monument

Chris Vince Excerpts

Tuesday 9th June 2026 Westminster Hall

[Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)]

My hon. Friend will be aware that David Attenborough’s brother Richard sadly passed away in 2014. I just wanted to share the last tweet that Lord Richard Attenborough put out on Twitter. He said he was very proud of his little brother, after David Attenborough received his BAFTA. I am sure that Richard Attenborough would have been very proud that my hon. Friend is having a debate about his little brother today.

[Johanna Baxter]

I thank my hon. Friend for his kind words.

Sir David is not just an incredible broadcaster with a passion for nature; he is an architect who shaped the landscape of British broadcasting. As the controller of BBC Two, he oversaw the introduction of colour television to the UK, beating continental Europe to the airwaves.

His eye for innovation even changed global sport. It was Sir David who noticed that traditional white tennis balls were nearly impossible for viewers to track on early colour television screens during broadcasts from Wimbledon. He personally intervened and championed the introduction of the optic yellow tennis balls that are used worldwide today. His embrace of technological advances led to him being the only person ever to win BAFTA awards for programmes across black and white, colour, high-definition, 3D and 4K television. From “The Blue Planet” and “Life on Earth” to “Galapagos” and “Frozen Planet”—I am sure everybody here today could name their favourite—each landmark production pushed human ingenuity forward.

Within the scientific community, one of the greatest compliments a person can receive is to have a species named after them. It is extraordinary, then, to think that Sir David has had over 50 species named in his honour, reflecting a staggering range of biodiversity. They range from the Euptychia attenboroughi, a black-eyed satyr butterfly found in the tropical Amazon, to the Platysaurus attenboroughi, a flat lizard native to southern Africa. Sir David is also one of very few people to have been knighted twice.

UK Biobank Data

Chris Vince Excerpts

Thursday 23rd April 2026 Commons Chamber

[Ian Murray]

Yes, I can give that assurance. This Government are giving UK Biobank all the support that it requires to resolve the immediate issue and in the short term to get the system back up and running in as secure a way as possible. Let me echo that participants in UK Biobank have done a great service to the people of this country and around the world. We owe it to them to be transparent and secure, and to ensure that their data is not only safe but advancing UK and worldwide medical research for the benefit of everyone.

[Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)]

I will not mention Harlow Town, I promise. [Laughter.]

May I thank the Minister for his statement? I agree with others that UK Biobank is an excellent resource, and I have no doubt that its research has made a huge difference to the health of my constituents. Although this issue is not specifically a cyber-security breach, as he correctly said, will he join me in welcoming the Government’s Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill? Along with the hon. and gallant Member for Spelthorne (Lincoln Jopp), I had the pleasure of serving on the Bill Committee. Will the Minister add to the work that this Government are doing to ensure that our data across all industries, including the charity sector and Government, is safe under this Government?

[Ian Murray]

In a previous question, my hon. Friend said that Harlow Town were the Man City of non-league football. May I simply suggest that he is the Man City of speaking in this Chamber in terms of the quality and regularity of his contributions? That may be challenged by the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon)—let us look at the data.

I echo what my hon. Friend said in his question, because it is really important for us to impress on the public that data is secure and safe. This Government take that incredibly seriously, not just in the legislation being passed, which he has been a part of, but in the cyber-security tools available for free from this Government to businesses, organisations and institutions right across the country. We wrote to those organisations last week to inform them that those tools were available, and I continue to echo to all businesses, institutions and organisations that they should get involved in ensuring that they are as cyber-secure as possible. We are only as secure as the weakest, and we all have to be as secure as we possibly can be.

Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Vince Excerpts

Thursday 15th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Stephanie Peacock]

We are working with sporting bodies to make sure they get this right.

[Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)]

8. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help improve outcomes for young people.

[The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)]

Last month, we published our ground- breaking youth strategy, “Youth Matters”, the first cross-Government strategy for young people in England for over 15 years, to ensure that every young person has somewhere to go, someone who cares and something to do. We are determined, as we breathe life into that strategy, to ensure it continues to be driven by young people across the country. I look forward to working with him to ensure that becomes a reality.

[Chris Vince]

I am in my usual place, you may notice, Madam Deputy Speaker.

I thank the Secretary of State for her work on this really important youth strategy. How can young people in my constituency of Harlow be empowered to take part in the youth strategy? She will be aware that I am the chair of the all-party parliamentary group for young carers and young adult carers. Specifically, how has she worked to engage hard-to-reach groups, such as young carers, to be part of the strategy?

[Lisa Nandy]

From the outset, we were absolutely determined that the strategy would reflect all young people. It was a delight to do a workshop with young carers as part of the development of the youth strategy to ensure that their needs and concerns were met. I really do look forward to working with my hon. Friend to help ensure we empower young people. The key way in which we are doing that as a Department, as we roll out the national youth strategy, is to ensure we only fund organisations that put young people in the driving seat of decisions about how that money is spent.