Written question asked by Margaret Moran (Labour) on Wednesday, 4 November 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 9 November 2009. It was answered by Alan Campbell (Labour) on Thursday, 12 November 2009 on behalf of the Home Office.

Offences Against Children: Internet

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms are in place for the sharing of information on online images of child abuse with (a) EU and (b) non-EU countries.

Answer: The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) is the reporting point for illegal images of child sexual abuse for the UK. If the reported images are found to be within the EU, the IWF will notify the relevant INHOPE Hotline in the country concerned, and will also inform the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP). CEOP work closely with the Virtual Global Taskforce, and with the law enforcement agencies of other countries, to tackle such sites, and to arrest those responsible for them. If the country is outside the EU, but has an INHOPE hotline, the same process will apply.

Secondary information