Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to issue guidance to help social media companies implement (a) C2PA Content Credentials and (b) other provenance standards to help (i) tackle disinformation and (ii) ensure a viable opt-out tool for rightsholders in the UK, in the context of the Ofcom's responsibilities in the Online Safety Act 2023.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Online Safety Act (OSA) represents our key legislative tool for tackling mis/disinformation and requires platforms to remove illegal mis/disinformation from their services. Our immediate focus is on quick and effective implementation. We will then look at where we could build on the OSA.
The government recently closed a consultation on AI and copyright and welcomed engagement from stakeholders on issues including labelling AI-generated and modified content, and options for enhancing control for rightsholders in the context of the UK’s AI and copyright regime. We are reviewing all responses to ensure any proposals taken forward properly support all sectors.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to take steps to prevent social media companies from removing (a) C2PA Content Credentials and (b) other provenance metadata from content in order to help (i) tackle disinformation online and (ii) ensure that rightsholders’ stated preferences for AI training are not removed.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Online Safety Act (OSA) represents our key legislative tool for tackling mis/disinformation and requires platforms to remove illegal mis/disinformation from their services. Our immediate focus is on quick and effective implementation. We will then look at where we could build on the OSA.
The government recently closed a consultation on AI and copyright and welcomed engagement from stakeholders on issues including labelling AI-generated and modified content, and options for enhancing control for rightsholders in the context of the UK’s AI and copyright regime. We are reviewing all responses to ensure any proposals taken forward properly support all sectors.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help mitigate the potential impact of his Department's proposals for cooling-off rights within the subscription contract regime under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 on digital content streaming services.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government’s Consultation on the implementation of the new subscriptions contract regime included proposals for how refunds should work when consumers exercise their statutory cooling-off rights. The overarching aim set out in that document is for a framework that is fair for both businesses and consumers. Officials have met regularly with digital content subscription businesses and their trade bodies to hear their views. We are analysing all the responses to the consultation, including those from businesses that supply digital content or services, and will publish a Government Response in due course.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had meetings with providers of digital content subscription services on the potential impact of proposals on cooling-off rights within the new subscription contract regime under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government’s Consultation on the implementation of the new subscriptions contract regime included proposals for how refunds should work when consumers exercise their statutory cooling-off rights. The overarching aim set out in that document is for a framework that is fair for both businesses and consumers. Officials have met regularly with digital content subscription businesses and their trade bodies to hear their views. We are analysing all the responses to the consultation, including those from businesses that supply digital content or services, and will publish a Government Response in due course.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has received representations from providers of digital content subscription services on the potential impact of proposals on cooling-off rights within the new subscription contract regime under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government’s Consultation on the implementation of the new subscriptions contract regime included proposals for how refunds should work when consumers exercise their statutory cooling-off rights. The overarching aim set out in that document is for a framework that is fair for both businesses and consumers. Officials have met regularly with digital content subscription businesses and their trade bodies to hear their views. We are analysing all the responses to the consultation, including those from businesses that supply digital content or services, and will publish a Government Response in due course.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to extend the suspension of customs tariffs on fruit juices after June 2026.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
203 suspensions are due to expire on 30 June 2026, including 27 measures that are in place on fruit juices and concentrates. The Government will consider a possible extension ahead of the measures’ expiry date. Further information about the review will be made available on GOV.UK in due course.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a regulator levy to fund compensation for people who lost money through the collapse of Football Index and BetIndex.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
I refer my Honourable Friend to the answer I gave on 8 January 2025 to Question UIN 21381.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that people affected by press wrongdoing have access to redress.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government does not intervene in or oversee the work of the UK’s independent press regulators. We are clear, however, that with this independence comes responsibility, and newspapers and regulators have a responsibility to ensure access to clear, timely and effective routes to redress.
If a member of the public objects to practices of the press they can complain directly to the publication, or the relevant independent regulator, including Impress or the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). These regulators enforce codes of conduct which provide guidelines on a range of areas, including discrimination, accuracy, privacy, and harassment. If they find that a newspaper has broken the code of conduct, they can order corrections. Both regulators also offer arbitration schemes for legal claims relating to defamation, privacy and harassment.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to consult on reforms to press regulation.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government currently has no plans to consult on reforms to press regulation.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support the conversion of (a) vacant and (b) underused mills into (i) housing and (ii) commercial space in (A) Bury North constituency and (B) the North of England.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that substantial weight should be given to the value of using suitable brownfield land within settlements for homes and other uses and promoting an effective and efficient use of land. This includes supporting opportunities to remediate derelict land and the development of under-utilised land and buildings, especially to meet housing needs.
In relation to commercial space, a permitted development right enables change of use of Class B2 General Industrial buildings to Class B8 Storage and Distribution, subject to size limit of 500 square metres of floorspace changing use. Mills are likely to fall into the Class B2 use class.
Homes England and its local authority partners are working with mill owners across Greater Manchester to bring redundant mills back into life as housing. This includes the Eckersley Mill complex in Wigan, which is the subject of joint working between the Council, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Homes England to bring forward a range of uses, including 800 homes. The first phase is commercial and has been part funded by Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Brownfield Housing Fund.
Although the site is not within the Bury North constituency, Homes England also acted jointly with Bury Council to dispose of East Lancs Paper Mill site for the development of around 400 new homes.