It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr McCrea—I think for the first time. A number of colleagues have remarked that this is a peculiar subject for debate and have asked me to clarify the debate’s purpose. I should make clear that that group does not include the...

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr McCrea—I think for the first time. A number of colleagues have remarked that this is a peculiar subject for debate and have asked me to clarify the debate’s purpose. I should make clear that that group does not include the...

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship this morning, Dr McCrea. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Vale of Glamorgan (Alun Cairns) for calling this important debate. He said that it was a vital issue, but apparently it is not one on which our colleagues feel...

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship this morning, Dr McCrea. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Vale of Glamorgan (Alun Cairns) for calling this important debate. He said that it was a vital issue, but apparently it is not one on which our colleagues feel...

That is an important issue in my constituency. I hope the Minister agrees that although we need an open and dynamic internet, the Government must be aware of the areas in which there is a real danger and do what they can—within reasonable powers and without damaging the internet—to exercise...

That is an important issue in my constituency. I hope the Minister agrees that although we need an open and dynamic internet, the Government must be aware of the areas in which there is a real danger and do what they can—within reasonable powers and without damaging the internet—to exercise...

My hon. Friend is completely correct. The rule of law applies to the internet, and that which is illegal in the physical world is illegal in the online world. That is why a zero-tolerance policy towards child abuse images does not pose a threat to internet freedom. Those images are...

My hon. Friend is completely correct. The rule of law applies to the internet, and that which is illegal in the physical world is illegal in the online world. That is why a zero-tolerance policy towards child abuse images does not pose a threat to internet freedom. Those images are...

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department plans any specific measures relating to security issues for (a) intellectual property and (b) other theft within the UK Internet Governance Forum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department plans any specific measures relating to security issues for (a) intellectual property and (b) other theft within the UK Internet Governance Forum.

Westminster Hall adjournment debate on governance of the internet and the UK approach to communications technology.

Westminster Hall adjournment debate on governance of the internet and the UK approach to communications technology.

A friend of mine has recently become a special constable. When people are recruited to become special constables, it is very much about being on the front line, patrolling the streets. However, in the cyber-age, we should perhaps also invite people to become special constables to work on issues such...

A friend of mine has recently become a special constable. When people are recruited to become special constables, it is very much about being on the front line, patrolling the streets. However, in the cyber-age, we should perhaps also invite people to become special constables to work on issues such...

It is a pleasure to debate under your stern but friendly eye, Mr Benton. I intend to explain why the debate is important, provide my own report back on the Internet Governance Forum in Nairobi, look at the wider questions of how Parliament deals with internet and communications technology issues...

It is a pleasure to debate under your stern but friendly eye, Mr Benton. I intend to explain why the debate is important, provide my own report back on the Internet Governance Forum in Nairobi, look at the wider questions of how Parliament deals with internet and communications technology issues...

My hon. Friend makes a good point—I was only teasing him. However, the fact is that we have been told on a number of occasions that we cannot control things that are problematic on the internet because it is international; that was the first set of responses when people were...

My hon. Friend makes a good point—I was only teasing him. However, the fact is that we have been told on a number of occasions that we cannot control things that are problematic on the internet because it is international; that was the first set of responses when people were...

It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair this afternoon, Mr Benton. I congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff South and Penarth (Alun Michael) on securing this extremely important debate. Ironically, when the Minister and I were debating one of the world's oldest technologies this...

It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair this afternoon, Mr Benton. I congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff South and Penarth (Alun Michael) on securing this extremely important debate. Ironically, when the Minister and I were debating one of the world's oldest technologies this...

I will not even try to say it. I will not give any views on that approach because I do not want to set any hares running. There is also the self-regulatory approach to try to protect people from inappropriate content on the internet, and I welcome the ISPs' code...

I will not even try to say it. I will not give any views on that approach because I do not want to set any hares running. There is also the self-regulatory approach to try to protect people from inappropriate content on the internet, and I welcome the ISPs' code...

Monopsonistic.

Monopsonistic.

It is a pleasure to appear under your chairmanship, Mr Benton. I welcome the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland (Helen Goodman) to her position as Labour spokesman on communications and creative industries. I pay a heartfelt tribute to the right hon. Member for Cardiff South and Penarth (Alun Michael), not...

It is a pleasure to appear under your chairmanship, Mr Benton. I welcome the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland (Helen Goodman) to her position as Labour spokesman on communications and creative industries. I pay a heartfelt tribute to the right hon. Member for Cardiff South and Penarth (Alun Michael), not...

Of course. My right hon. Friend speaks with experience and good sense about the need to take account of different perspectives. I also thought what he said about the nature of rules is important. He said that they need to be values-based, outcomes-based and technologically neutral. That is absolutely the...

Of course. My right hon. Friend speaks with experience and good sense about the need to take account of different perspectives. I also thought what he said about the nature of rules is important. He said that they need to be values-based, outcomes-based and technologically neutral. That is absolutely the...

I congratulate the right hon. Gentleman on securing the debate. Although I was not at the Nairobi event, I was at the event in Lithuania. It struck me that very few parliamentarians were present, but there were people from the Pirate party. Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that it...

I congratulate the right hon. Gentleman on securing the debate. Although I was not at the Nairobi event, I was at the event in Lithuania. It struck me that very few parliamentarians were present, but there were people from the Pirate party. Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that it...

The hon. Gentleman makes a good point. He brought considerable interest, particularly in intellectual property, and creativeness to the discussions in Lithuania. There were more mainstream parliamentarians in Nairobi this year, but he is right: if we are not engaged, we leave a vacuum, which would be a great pity.

The hon. Gentleman makes a good point. He brought considerable interest, particularly in intellectual property, and creativeness to the discussions in Lithuania. There were more mainstream parliamentarians in Nairobi this year, but he is right: if we are not engaged, we leave a vacuum, which would be a great pity.

I apologise to you, Mr Benton, and to the House for having to leave for another speaking engagement on behalf of the Science and Technology Committee. I was very impressed—unusually—that the Minister took the trouble to attend the forum this year. That is a fantastic step in the right direction....

I apologise to you, Mr Benton, and to the House for having to leave for another speaking engagement on behalf of the Science and Technology Committee. I was very impressed—unusually—that the Minister took the trouble to attend the forum this year. That is a fantastic step in the right direction....

I thank my hon. Friend for his comments. He is right about the importance of the Minister's attendance this year. It made a significant impact on many people from other countries and showed an excellent example. Engagement with the IGF has been nurtured by Nominet, the dot-UK domain name registry,...

I thank my hon. Friend for his comments. He is right about the importance of the Minister's attendance this year. It made a significant impact on many people from other countries and showed an excellent example. Engagement with the IGF has been nurtured by Nominet, the dot-UK domain name registry,...

I hope that my right hon. Friend will mention an internet issue that my constituents are concerned about: the use of abusive language on the one hand and child pornography on the other. One of my constituents, Mrs Jane Osmond of 7 Newcombe Road, has written to me about that....

I hope that my right hon. Friend will mention an internet issue that my constituents are concerned about: the use of abusive language on the one hand and child pornography on the other. One of my constituents, Mrs Jane Osmond of 7 Newcombe Road, has written to me about that....