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1146089

	registered interest
	date	25/09/2019
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Exploitation: Children and Young People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Crown Prosecution Service's complaince with legislation and guidance relating to the avoidance of unnecessary prosecution of children and young people who have been groomed, exploited or trafficked as part of county lines criminal activity.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	290916
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/10/2019 answer text <p>The exploitation, grooming, and trafficking of children and young people is abhorrent. The CPS takes great care to ensure the right people are prosecuted for the right offences in county lines cases, by training prosecutors to have an increased awareness of gang-associated exploitation and to scrutinise the evidence. This builds on clear CPS guidance which recognises the principle of non-prosecution of victims of trafficking or slavery.</p><p> </p><p>Early identification by investigators is essential, in order to avoid the criminalisation of victims. On 1 October 2019, the Home Secretary announced a surge of activity to crack down on county lines drugs gangs. The package of measures, underpinned by £20 million of Home Office investment, will intensify law enforcement efforts to disrupt the county lines model, including the provision of specialist support to victims and families in order to help children and young people exit their involvement in county lines.</p> answering member constituency Northampton North answering member printed Michael Ellis question first answered 04/10/2019 15:57:47 answering member 4116 label Biography information for Sir Michael Ellis
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1146092

	registered interest
	date	25/09/2019
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Exploitation: Children and Young People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what support he is providing to the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure that Modern Slavery Act 2015 provisions and associated guidance relating to the avoidance of unnecessary prosecution of children and young people who have been groomed, exploited or trafficked as part of county lines criminal activity is followed in full.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	290919
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/10/2019 answer text <p>The Law Officers superintend the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The CPS is the principal prosecuting authority in England and Wales with responsibility for charging decisions in criminal cases.</p><p> </p><p>The CPS has published clear legal guidance which recognises the principle of non-prosecution of victims of trafficking or slavery. It has delivered training on the steps to be taken, where there is a reason to believe that a suspect or defendant in a criminal case might be a victim. In those circumstances, the prosecutor will consider what further evidence or information might be required and will review whether the prosecution should proceed or not. The guidance sets out that where there is sufficient evidence that the accused is a victim and the conditions provided for in section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 are met, the case should not be charged or proceeded with.</p> answering member constituency Northampton North answering member printed Michael Ellis question first answered 04/10/2019 11:57:25 answering member 4116 label Biography information for Sir Michael Ellis
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1150124

	registered interest
	date	16/10/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Rainforests: Amazonia
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Answer of 2 October 2019 to Question 290776 on Rain Forests: Amazonia, what assessment her Department has made of recent trends in the level of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	965
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2019 answer text <p>The UK is concerned by data that suggests a surge in forest fires in the Amazon rainforest in 2019. Whilst the data is complex there is evidence that indicates this surge in fires follows months of accelerated deforestation. In recent years we have seen some evidence that climate change is making forest fires more frequent and severe in Amazon countries and elsewhere. Unlike previous years when El Niño caused severe droughts, climatic conditions were probably not a significant factor this year’s increase in fires.</p><p><br>Amazon countries are established key partners for the UK in our collective efforts to promote sustainable growth, tackle deforestation and mitigate climate change. As stated in my response on 2 October 2019, the UK supports a number initiatives, as part of multilateral climate funds and the UK’s bilateral relationship with several Amazon countries, that aim to: i) improve the capacity of governments to reduce deforestation; ii) incentivise forest protection through results based payments; iii) enable businesses and communities to grow rural economies sustainably whilst protecting standing forests.</p><p><br>These initiatives continuously monitor and implement mitigation strategies for risks, such as increasing deforestation, in the course of their ongoing activities.</p> answering member constituency Spelthorne answering member printed Kwasi Kwarteng question first answered 23/10/2019 12:58:52 answering member 4134 label Biography information for Kwasi Kwarteng
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1150125

	registered interest
	date	16/10/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Rainforests: Amazonia
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Answer of 2 October to Question 290776 on Rain Forests: Amazonia, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect of the (a) degradation of carbon sinks and (b) deforestation in the Amazon rainforest on the timeframe for the UK's transition to a net-zero economy.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	966
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2019 answer text <p>The timeframe for the UK's transition to achieving our domestic net-zero target is not dependent on reducing degradation and deforestation in the Amazonia rainforest. However, BEIS continues to support work on the supply chain impacts of UK consumption of key commodities such as soya, as well as work to reduce deforestation and restore forests in Amazonia countries.</p> answering member constituency Spelthorne answering member printed Kwasi Kwarteng question first answered 28/10/2019 13:25:14 answering member 4134 label Biography information for Kwasi Kwarteng
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1145787

	registered interest
	date	25/09/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Rainforests: Amazonia
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her Department's policies of recent trends in the level of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	290776
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/10/2019 answer text <p>BEIS is supporting a number of community, business and government-led initiatives, as part of the UK’s bilateral relationship with Brazil, that help increase the value of Brazil’s standing forest, promote the sustainability of agricultural production systems, and restore deforested land.</p><p>Implementation arrangements for these initiatives regularly assess how deforestation levels, and the underlying drivers, are changing relative to recent trends. BEIS officials work closely with teams in the UK’s Embassies in Brazil to routinely monitor progress, risks and opportunities.</p><p>Initiatives include:</p><ul><li>Supporting Brazilian state government leadership in Acre and Mato Grosso to reduce deforestation and grow sustainable farming and forestry industries (£43m of BEIS International Climate Finance, or ICF);</li><li>Promoting entrepreneurship and investment in innovative sustainable forestry and farming businesses in Latin America (£19m of BEIS ICF);</li><li>Helping UK companies to achieve their collective goal of securing a sustainable supply of soya to the UK from South America, through BEIS’s support to the UK Roundtable on Sustainable Soya; and</li><li>Supporting the recently launched UK Global Resource Initiative Taskforce, comprising UK international businesses and experts, which will assess the UK’s wider footprint through commodity supply chains, and recommend clear actions for how businesses and government can lead a step change in the UK’s trade in sustainable commodities.</li></ul> answering member constituency Spelthorne answering member printed Kwasi Kwarteng question first answered 02/10/2019 15:56:23 answering member 4134 label Biography information for Kwasi Kwarteng
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1145627

	registered interest
	date	24/09/2019
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Nuisance Calls
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of nuisance calls to UK numbers.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	290311
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/10/2019 answer text <p>The level of nuisance calls made to UK numbers is monitored by independent bodies. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) takes the lead in tackling unsolicited live direct marketing calls and automated marketing message calls through its responsibility for enforcing the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). Further information about the level of nuisance calls and enforcement action taken by the ICO is available on the ICO’s website at <a href="https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/nuisance-calls-and-messages/" target="_blank">https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/nuisance-calls-and-messages/</a>.</p><p>The Office of Communications (Ofcom) is the regulator for telecommunications services in the UK and, in respect of nuisance calls, its focus is primarily on abandoned and silent calls. Ofcom will be releasing its most recent statistics following its nuisance calls consumer survey later this month. Information on this is available on its website at <a href="https://www.ofcom.org.uk/home" target="_blank">ofcom.org.uk</a></p><p>The Government has been clear that there is no place for nuisance calls in our society and we continue to work with regulators and industry on practical solutions to this problem. The Government has taken a range of recent actions to reduce the number of nuisance calls. The Government has banned cold calls from personal injury firms and pensions providers unless the consumer has explicitly agreed to be contacted. The Government has also introduced director liability for nuisance calls, meaning that the ICO can impose a fine of up to £500,00 on a company, its directors, or both where it establishes a breach has occurred (previously, only the company could be fined). This measure has enhanced the ICO’s regulatory effectiveness by raising the issue of unsolicited marketing at board level. The Government is also funding National Trading Standards to install call blocking devices in the homes of vulnerable people.</p><p>The ICO has a dedicated team to investigate organisations making nuisance calls and take action when evidence supports enforcement action. The ICO has a joint action plan with Ofcom for tackling nuisance calls. The ICO also works closely with the Ministry of Justice’s Claims Management Regulation Unit and the National Crime Agency to share intelligence and deter and penalize organisations and individuals responsible for the harm caused by nuisance calls. The ICO works with the Insolvency Service to ensure as much of the monetary penalties issued to those that are in breach of the rules is recovered.</p><p>The ICO has arrangements with other countries to share information and intelligence about organisations potentially contravening UK law, including the PECR. It makes referrals to those countries where it identifies organisations making unlawful calls to UK subscribers, and has a number of such investigations ongoing at the present time. The ICO will continue to work with its counterparts including in countries where large numbers of nuisance calls are being made to the UK, in order to identify the offenders and solutions to the problem.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman grouped question UIN 290312 290313 290314 question first answered 01/10/2019 13:12:04 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1145628

	registered interest
	date	24/09/2019
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Nuisance Calls
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the level of nuisance calls.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	290312
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/10/2019 answer text <p>The level of nuisance calls made to UK numbers is monitored by independent bodies. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) takes the lead in tackling unsolicited live direct marketing calls and automated marketing message calls through its responsibility for enforcing the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). Further information about the level of nuisance calls and enforcement action taken by the ICO is available on the ICO’s website at <a href="https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/nuisance-calls-and-messages/" target="_blank">https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/nuisance-calls-and-messages/</a>.</p><p>The Office of Communications (Ofcom) is the regulator for telecommunications services in the UK and, in respect of nuisance calls, its focus is primarily on abandoned and silent calls. Ofcom will be releasing its most recent statistics following its nuisance calls consumer survey later this month. Information on this is available on its website at <a href="https://www.ofcom.org.uk/home" target="_blank">ofcom.org.uk</a></p><p>The Government has been clear that there is no place for nuisance calls in our society and we continue to work with regulators and industry on practical solutions to this problem. The Government has taken a range of recent actions to reduce the number of nuisance calls. The Government has banned cold calls from personal injury firms and pensions providers unless the consumer has explicitly agreed to be contacted. The Government has also introduced director liability for nuisance calls, meaning that the ICO can impose a fine of up to £500,00 on a company, its directors, or both where it establishes a breach has occurred (previously, only the company could be fined). This measure has enhanced the ICO’s regulatory effectiveness by raising the issue of unsolicited marketing at board level. The Government is also funding National Trading Standards to install call blocking devices in the homes of vulnerable people.</p><p>The ICO has a dedicated team to investigate organisations making nuisance calls and take action when evidence supports enforcement action. The ICO has a joint action plan with Ofcom for tackling nuisance calls. The ICO also works closely with the Ministry of Justice’s Claims Management Regulation Unit and the National Crime Agency to share intelligence and deter and penalize organisations and individuals responsible for the harm caused by nuisance calls. The ICO works with the Insolvency Service to ensure as much of the monetary penalties issued to those that are in breach of the rules is recovered.</p><p>The ICO has arrangements with other countries to share information and intelligence about organisations potentially contravening UK law, including the PECR. It makes referrals to those countries where it identifies organisations making unlawful calls to UK subscribers, and has a number of such investigations ongoing at the present time. The ICO will continue to work with its counterparts including in countries where large numbers of nuisance calls are being made to the UK, in order to identify the offenders and solutions to the problem.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman grouped question UIN 290311 290313 290314 question first answered 01/10/2019 13:12:04 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1145629

	registered interest
	date	24/09/2019
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Nuisance Calls
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what proactive investigative capacity exists to support enforcement of laws against nuisance calling and associated business practices.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	290313
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/10/2019 answer text <p>The level of nuisance calls made to UK numbers is monitored by independent bodies. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) takes the lead in tackling unsolicited live direct marketing calls and automated marketing message calls through its responsibility for enforcing the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). Further information about the level of nuisance calls and enforcement action taken by the ICO is available on the ICO’s website at <a href="https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/nuisance-calls-and-messages/" target="_blank">https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/nuisance-calls-and-messages/</a>.</p><p>The Office of Communications (Ofcom) is the regulator for telecommunications services in the UK and, in respect of nuisance calls, its focus is primarily on abandoned and silent calls. Ofcom will be releasing its most recent statistics following its nuisance calls consumer survey later this month. Information on this is available on its website at <a href="https://www.ofcom.org.uk/home" target="_blank">ofcom.org.uk</a></p><p>The Government has been clear that there is no place for nuisance calls in our society and we continue to work with regulators and industry on practical solutions to this problem. The Government has taken a range of recent actions to reduce the number of nuisance calls. The Government has banned cold calls from personal injury firms and pensions providers unless the consumer has explicitly agreed to be contacted. The Government has also introduced director liability for nuisance calls, meaning that the ICO can impose a fine of up to £500,00 on a company, its directors, or both where it establishes a breach has occurred (previously, only the company could be fined). This measure has enhanced the ICO’s regulatory effectiveness by raising the issue of unsolicited marketing at board level. The Government is also funding National Trading Standards to install call blocking devices in the homes of vulnerable people.</p><p>The ICO has a dedicated team to investigate organisations making nuisance calls and take action when evidence supports enforcement action. The ICO has a joint action plan with Ofcom for tackling nuisance calls. The ICO also works closely with the Ministry of Justice’s Claims Management Regulation Unit and the National Crime Agency to share intelligence and deter and penalize organisations and individuals responsible for the harm caused by nuisance calls. The ICO works with the Insolvency Service to ensure as much of the monetary penalties issued to those that are in breach of the rules is recovered.</p><p>The ICO has arrangements with other countries to share information and intelligence about organisations potentially contravening UK law, including the PECR. It makes referrals to those countries where it identifies organisations making unlawful calls to UK subscribers, and has a number of such investigations ongoing at the present time. The ICO will continue to work with its counterparts including in countries where large numbers of nuisance calls are being made to the UK, in order to identify the offenders and solutions to the problem.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman grouped question UIN 290311 290312 290314 question first answered 01/10/2019 13:12:04 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1145631

	registered interest
	date	24/09/2019
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Nuisance Calls
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will take steps to (a) identify countries that are hotspots of illegal nuisance calling to the UK and associated business activity and (b) improve collaboration with regulators and other investigative and enforcement authorities in those countries.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	290314
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/10/2019 answer text <p>The level of nuisance calls made to UK numbers is monitored by independent bodies. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) takes the lead in tackling unsolicited live direct marketing calls and automated marketing message calls through its responsibility for enforcing the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). Further information about the level of nuisance calls and enforcement action taken by the ICO is available on the ICO’s website at <a href="https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/nuisance-calls-and-messages/" target="_blank">https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/nuisance-calls-and-messages/</a>.</p><p>The Office of Communications (Ofcom) is the regulator for telecommunications services in the UK and, in respect of nuisance calls, its focus is primarily on abandoned and silent calls. Ofcom will be releasing its most recent statistics following its nuisance calls consumer survey later this month. Information on this is available on its website at <a href="https://www.ofcom.org.uk/home" target="_blank">ofcom.org.uk</a></p><p>The Government has been clear that there is no place for nuisance calls in our society and we continue to work with regulators and industry on practical solutions to this problem. The Government has taken a range of recent actions to reduce the number of nuisance calls. The Government has banned cold calls from personal injury firms and pensions providers unless the consumer has explicitly agreed to be contacted. The Government has also introduced director liability for nuisance calls, meaning that the ICO can impose a fine of up to £500,00 on a company, its directors, or both where it establishes a breach has occurred (previously, only the company could be fined). This measure has enhanced the ICO’s regulatory effectiveness by raising the issue of unsolicited marketing at board level. The Government is also funding National Trading Standards to install call blocking devices in the homes of vulnerable people.</p><p>The ICO has a dedicated team to investigate organisations making nuisance calls and take action when evidence supports enforcement action. The ICO has a joint action plan with Ofcom for tackling nuisance calls. The ICO also works closely with the Ministry of Justice’s Claims Management Regulation Unit and the National Crime Agency to share intelligence and deter and penalize organisations and individuals responsible for the harm caused by nuisance calls. The ICO works with the Insolvency Service to ensure as much of the monetary penalties issued to those that are in breach of the rules is recovered.</p><p>The ICO has arrangements with other countries to share information and intelligence about organisations potentially contravening UK law, including the PECR. It makes referrals to those countries where it identifies organisations making unlawful calls to UK subscribers, and has a number of such investigations ongoing at the present time. The ICO will continue to work with its counterparts including in countries where large numbers of nuisance calls are being made to the UK, in order to identify the offenders and solutions to the problem.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman grouped question UIN 290311 290312 290313 question first answered 01/10/2019 13:12:05 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1145784

	registered interest
	date	25/09/2019
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	YouTube: Artificial Intelligence
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the New York Times report, entitled How YouTube Radicalised Brazil, published 11 August 2019, if she will make an assessment of whether YouTube’s recommendation algorithm has played a role in increasing (a) radicalisation and (b) misinformation.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	290773
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/10/2019 answer text <p>The government recognises the importance of algorithms as part of the responsible deployment of digital technologies. To this end, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) established the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI) in November 2018. The Centre provides government with independent, expert advice on measures needed to enable/ensure safe, ethical and innovative uses of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data-driven technologies. The Centre’s 2019/20 Work Programme is focused on delivering two major reviews, including one on online targeting. The Targeting Review is investigating how data is used to shape people’s online environments via the personalisation and targeting of messages, content and services online. Interim findings were published in July 2019, alongside a literature review, and the Centre will publish its final recommendations this December.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the Online Harms White Paper sets out our plans for world-leading legislation to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online. This will make companies more responsible for their users’ safety online. The government expects companies to proactively engage in looking at tech solutions, including ensuring their algorithms do not inadvertently cause harm. We are working closely with social media platforms to encourage and promote responsible behaviour ahead of the implementation of the online harms regulatory framework.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman grouped question UIN 290774 290775 question first answered 03/10/2019 13:05:09 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown