Information between 5th May 2024 - 15th May 2024
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| Parliamentary Debates |
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Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation Bill
67 speeches (13,725 words) Committee stage: 1st sitting Wednesday 8th May 2024 - Public Bill Committees Ministry of Justice Mentions: 1: David Davis (Con - Haltemprice and Howden) We are trying to protect freedom of speech and, at the same time, people’s right to look after their - Link to Speech 2: Mike Freer (Con - Finchley and Golders Green) I think the whole Bill supports the thrust of protecting freedom of speech. - Link to Speech |
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Recognition of Western Sahara as Moroccan
53 speeches (11,978 words) Wednesday 8th May 2024 - Westminster Hall Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Mentions: 1: Lyn Brown (Lab - West Ham) These include allegations of restrictions on freedom of speech and assembly, arbitrary detention, torture - Link to Speech |
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Countering Iran’s Hostile Activities
37 speeches (13,362 words) Wednesday 8th May 2024 - Westminster Hall Mentions: 1: Nusrat Ghani (Con - Wealden) That is why the Government have brought in the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 and the - Link to Speech |
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Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill
104 speeches (18,539 words) Committee stage part one Tuesday 7th May 2024 - Lords Chamber Cabinet Office Mentions: 1: Baroness Deech (XB - Life peer) law—to which they are subject—that they may be beginning to breach the law.The Bill is not about curbing freedom - Link to Speech |
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Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill
59 speeches (17,228 words) Tuesday 7th May 2024 - Lords Chamber Cabinet Office Mentions: 1: Lord Willetts (Con - Life peer) of speech legislation. - Link to Speech 2: None of speech will, in practice, be able to promote a climate of freedom of speech when the OfS will at - Link to Speech 3: None My noble friend also asked how the Bill would operate alongside the freedom of speech Act, something - Link to Speech |
| Select Committee Documents |
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Tuesday 14th May 2024
Special Report - Fifth Special Report - Sexism in the City: HM Treasury, Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority Responses to the Committee’s Sixth Report Treasury Committee Found: The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 will prevent HE providers using NDAs with staff, students |
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Thursday 9th May 2024
Written Evidence - Logically FON0068 - The future of news: impartiality, trust and technology The future of news: impartiality, trust and technology - Communications and Digital Committee Found: Campaigners have claimed that a right to freedom of speech is violated because even where the public |
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Tuesday 7th May 2024
Oral Evidence - Professor Alexander Evans The UK’s international counter-terrorism policy - Foreign Affairs Committee Found: Dean: Again, the domestic issues here are very complex because of the sacred laws when it comes to freedom |
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Tuesday 7th May 2024
Oral Evidence - Foreign Policy Centre, News Media Association, Reporters Without Borders, and David Hooper The future of news: impartiality, trust and technology - Communications and Digital Committee Found: concentrating on the conduct of the claimant, one is looking at the other side of the coin, which is freedom |
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Tuesday 7th May 2024
Oral Evidence - Cruickshank & Dean Global Intelligence The UK’s international counter-terrorism policy - Foreign Affairs Committee Found: Dean: Again, the domestic issues here are very complex because of the sacred laws when it comes to freedom |
| Written Answers |
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Higher Education: Freedom of Expression
Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer) Wednesday 8th May 2024 Question to the Department for Education: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to extend the deadline of 1 August for implementation of the provisions of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, given that the Office for Students has yet to publish guidance on the new complaints scheme relating to freedom of speech. Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education) The main provisions of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 will come into force on 1 August 2024. Provisions surrounding the new regulatory framework and overseas funding will come into force on 1 September 2025. There is currently no intention to delay the commencement of these provisions, the department will lay the required secondary legislation to meet these implementation dates. The department will work in collaboration with the Office for Students (OfS) to implement the Act, to allow time for the sector to update their policies and codes of practice. The department meets regularly with OfS to understand progress. The OfS have already launched three consultations related to:
The proposed guidance is intended to help providers, constituent institutions and students’ unions to navigate the new free speech duties that the OfS expects to regulate from 1 August 2024. The department understands that the OfS intends to publish the final version on or before 1 August 2024. A provisional implementation timetable is available on the OfS website: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/quality-and-standards/freedom-of-speech/changes-to-regulation/.
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Higher Education: Freedom of Expression
Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer) Wednesday 8th May 2024 Question to the Department for Education: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the Office for Students will provide guidance on the complaints scheme under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 in a timely manner, in compliance with the provisions of the Act. Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education) The main provisions of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 will come into force on 1 August 2024.
The Office for Students (OfS) has already carried out consultations related to the regulation of students’ unions and new complaints scheme rules in December 2023. The department meets regularly with OfS to understand its progress on the implementation of the Act.
The OfS also launched a consultation on 26 March 2024 on its proposed approach, regulatory advice and guidance on the duties related to freedom of speech and academic freedom.
The proposed guidance is intended to help providers, constituent institutions and students’ unions to navigate the new free speech duties that the OfS expects to regulate from 1 August 2024. The department understands that the OfS intends to publish the final version on or before 1 August 2024. |
| Bill Documents |
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May. 10 2024
Bill 216 2023-24 (as amended in Public Bill Committee) - large print Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation Bill 2023-24 Bill Found: of speech. |
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May. 10 2024
Bill 216 2023-24 (as amended in Public Bill Committee) Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation Bill 2023-24 Bill Found: of speech. |
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May. 08 2024
Public Bill Committee Proceedings as at 8 May 2024 Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation Bill 2023-24 Bill proceedings: Commons Found: 8 and 9 re-order themes in the subsection so that the public interest is referred to before freedom |
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May. 08 2024
Public Bill Committee Amendments as at 8 May 2024 Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation Bill 2023-24 Amendment Paper Found: 8 and 9 re-order themes in the subsection so that the public interest is referred to before freedom |
| Department Publications - Guidance |
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Tuesday 7th May 2024
Home Office Source Page: Prevent duty guidance for specified authorities in Scotland Document: (PDF) Found: of speech, and to the importance of academic freedom. |
| Non-Departmental Publications - News and Communications |
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May. 13 2024
Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street Source Page: PM speech on security: 13 May 2024 Document: PM speech on security: 13 May 2024 (webpage) News and Communications Found: People are abusing our liberal democratic values – the freedom of speech and right of protest - to intimidate |
| Draft Secondary Legislation |
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The Students’ Unions (Freedom of Speech) (Monetary Penalties) (England) Regulations 2024 These Regulations make provision in relation to England regarding the imposition of a monetary penalty by the Office for Students (“OfS”) on a students’ union in respect of a breach of its duties under section A5 (duty to take steps to secure freedom of speech) or A6 (code of practice) of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 (c. 29) (“the Act”). The students’ unions which are subject to such duties are students’ unions for students at higher education providers registered with the OfS as approved (fee cap) providers. Department for Education Found: The Students’ Unions (Freedom of Speech) (Monetary Penalties) (England) Regulations 2024 |
| Deposited Papers |
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Tuesday 14th May 2024
Source Page: Letter dated 08/05/2024 from Viscount Camrose and Lord Harlech to Peers regarding questions raised in the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill committee stage debates (sixth and seventh days): use of cookies, telecommunications, form of birth and death registers, information on sign-ups to National Underground Asset Register (digital map of underground apparatus), deepfakes, data risks from systemic competitors and hostile actors, updates to the age-appropriate design code, risk assessments for children's data, AI-generated child sexual abuse material, computer evidence admissibility, and data processing by generative AI. 11p. Document: 20240502_Will_Write_Viscount_Camrose.pdf (PDF) Found: the practical steps required to comply with them creates a significant risk of a chilling effect on freedom |