Written Question
Wednesday 13th March 2024
Asked by:
Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)
Question
to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she plans to take to ensure that Ofcom's review of video-on-demand services' (a) age ratings and (b) other audience protection measures, as required by section 32 of the draft Media Bill, is sufficiently thorough.
Answered by Julia Lopez
- Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Media Bill will give Ofcom an enhanced ongoing duty to assess all video-on-demand providers’ audience protection measures – such as age ratings, content warning, and parental controls – to ensure that the systems put in place are effective and fit for purpose, as they have done with broadcast television.
Written Question
Thursday 16th November 2023
Asked by:
Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)
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 ensure that streaming content is age appropriate for viewers.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The Media Bill, introduced to Parliament on 8 November, will give Ofcom new powers to draft and enforce a Video-on-demand Code, aimed at mainstream TV-like on-demand services. This will be similar to the Broadcasting Code, which sets out appropriate standards for content on linear television. The Code will include new rules for on-demand content including rules on harmful and offensive material, and specific protections for under-eighteens.
Ofcom will also be given an enhanced ongoing duty to assess video-on-demand providers’ audience protection measures, such as pin codes, content warnings, and age ratings, to ensure that the systems put in place to protect younger audiences are effective and fit for purpose.
Written Question
Friday 21st July 2023
Asked by:
Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)
Question
to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with Arts Council England on steps to promote freedom of speech and conscience in that organisation.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Ministers and officials regularly meet the leadership of Arts Council England (ACE) to discuss a range of matters. As an arm’s-length body of the Department, ACE is operationally independent and, like all the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's arm’s-length bodies, is responsible for complying with legislation, including the Equality Act 2010, under which religion or belief is a protected characteristic.
Darren Henley, Arts Council England’s Chief Executive, was clear to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on 8 December 2022 about Arts Council England’s commitment to respecting and protecting all those with protected characteristics. Arts Council England has a number of policies in place that protect freedom of conscience within the organisation.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 12 Jul 2022
Online Safety Bill
"I rise to speak on amendments 50, 51 and 55, and I share the free speech concerns that I think lie behind amendment 151. As I said in Committee to the previous Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon South (Chris Philp), who knew this Bill inside out—it was …..."Nick Fletcher - View Speech
View all Nick Fletcher (Con - Don Valley) contributions to the debate on: Online Safety Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 12 Jul 2022
Online Safety Bill
"I understand what my hon. Friend is saying, but the list of what is legal but harmful will be set by the Secretary of State, not by Parliament. All we ask is for that to be discussed on the Floor of the House before we place those duties on the …..."Nick Fletcher - View Speech
View all Nick Fletcher (Con - Don Valley) contributions to the debate on: Online Safety Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 12 Jul 2022
Online Safety Bill
"I thank my hon. Friend for his contribution, which deals with what I was going to finish with. It is not enough for the Secretary of State to have to consult Ofcom; there should be public consultation too. I support amendment 55, which my hon. Friend has tabled...."Nick Fletcher - View Speech
View all Nick Fletcher (Con - Don Valley) contributions to the debate on: Online Safety Bill
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Thu 09 Jun 2022
Online Safety Bill (Seventh sitting)
"I have been contacted by a number of people about this clause, and they have serious concerns about the “have regard” statement. The Christian Institute said that it was
“promised ‘considerably stronger protections for free speech’, but the Bill does not deliver. Internet companies will be under ‘a duty to …..."Nick Fletcher - View Speech
View all Nick Fletcher (Con - Don Valley) contributions to the debate on: Online Safety Bill (Seventh sitting)
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Tue 24 May 2022
Online Safety Bill (Second sitting)
"Q I think that it would have been better to hear from you three before we heard from the platforms this morning. Unfortunately, you have opened my eyes to a few things that I wish I did not have to know about—I think we all feel the same.
I …..."Nick Fletcher - View Speech
View all Nick Fletcher (Con - Don Valley) contributions to the debate on: Online Safety Bill (Second sitting)
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Tue 24 May 2022
Online Safety Bill (Second sitting)
"Q This might sound like a silly question. Can we not just put age verification on VPN sites, so that you can only have VPN access if you have gone through age verification? Do you understand what I am saying?
Professor Clare McGlynn: I do. We are beginning to …..."Nick Fletcher - View Speech
View all Nick Fletcher (Con - Don Valley) contributions to the debate on: Online Safety Bill (Second sitting)
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Tue 24 May 2022
Online Safety Bill (Second sitting)
"You have gone beyond mine anyway.
Professor Clare McGlynn: You might be able to do that through regulations on your phone. If you have a phone that is age-protected, you might not be able to download a particular VPN app, perhaps. Maybe you could do that, but people would find …..."Nick Fletcher - View Speech
View all Nick Fletcher (Con - Don Valley) contributions to the debate on: Online Safety Bill (Second sitting)