Alun Michael MP

Alun Michael MP (Labour) MP for Cardiff South & Penarth. Former Minister of State for Industry and the Regions, his job used to be "responsible for supporting successful enterprise" with ecommerce, and the communications and information industries, firmly in his beat. Lists amongst his political interests e-crime and security. On the Executive Committee of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Communications. Chair of EURIM on e-crime. Former minister for e-commerce.

Interested in e-crime and security.

Digital Economy Bill

Not contacted.

Surgeries

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Electronic Voting

Described the Open Rights Group e-voting report as a "seminal report that ought to be widely read by parliamentarians, ministers and people in government".

Present on the panel of the ORG fringe event at Labour Party Annual Conference 2007

... It's very attractive as part of that exercise of trying to extend the effectiveness of our democracy to use new technology. If it's faster, if it's easier very good. If it removes obstacles to people being able to vote, good. If it strengthens the capacity of identifying people, for instance electronic scanning of signatures to make sure there is a consistency between the signature of the registered person and the person who casts the vote, all well and good. But, what are the risks? What are the dangers?
I must say that when I first came to hear the report that you gave as a result of the election this year, I expected what I would describe - and I don't mean this in a insulting way - as a bunch of techies, to be very enthusiastic about the use of IT. What I heard in that report was extremely worrying. It actually brought me back to some thing I learnt during my time as a minister, which is the danger of people in industry and people in government separating two things, the exploitation of the technology, the best use of the technology, expanding use of technology, expanding access to use of technology; and security, making sure that that can not be undermined or misused or interfered with. All to often those who deal with IT are completely separate from the people, for instance in a company or a government department, for the people who are trying to drive forward greater use and greater application of the technology. It is absolutely fundamental that the development of the exploitation of IT is linked inseparably from ensuring the security is there. That is true in terms of use by banks and individuals, but it is certainly absolutely essential when it comes to the use of IT and new methods of dealing with our electoral system. We can not afford to take risks. There is a point where you have to manage risk, that's a different issue, but you have to know what risk you are managing, you have to know how large it is. Therefore, that report was an incredibly important call to care, for government and Parliamentarians. We discussed it the day after your presentation, in a meeting of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, where the two senior offers from the Commission had been present, as I had, to hear your presentation and it was taken very, very seriously indeed. Now the Committee on Standards is looking at the work of the Electoral Commission and the standards of electoral systems but of course it is the Electoral Commission that has the responsibility and the duty, as the regulator and the overseer of the way these things are done. But it seems to me that the report you produced on that election is a seminal report that ought to be widely read by parliamentarians, ministers and people in government as well as those more directly involved like electoral registration officers, the Electoral Commission and those who have direct responsibility because we can not afford not to get it right.

Alun Michael was present at the launch of ORG’s e-voting report and joined the debate.

Net Neutrality

Alun Michael chaired the first significant Net Neutrality debate to take place in the UK at the Westminster eForum.

E Crime

Borders and Internet Governance: Challenges for Businesses Operating Abroad panel debate 31 January 2007

... I think its very instructive often to ask how you would deal with a particular issue if you where not looking at it as an internet issue. So for instance crime, abuse, a lot of these things, a lot of crime is not internet crime its crime that happens to be making use of the internet. Once you separate those two things it starts to become a lot clearer in consistency. What's generally described as freedom with irresistibility, and in a age of convergence with media, the internet, telephonic communication, all of these things all becoming included in the internet geography, I think we have to look at them much more broadly as just being internet issues. ...

Parliament and the Internet: Alun Michael MP, Security and eCrime

People fear internet crime more than mugging or car crime, they think it’s more likely to happen. 40% thought big online organisations should insure users against fraud.
...
My question: Where do victims report ecrime? If someone steals a sword I’ve created in an online game which has real value, both in the game and offline, where do I report that? Local police are not going to be interested.

Spam

When China - the world's second biggest producer of spam behind the US - signed up to an international agreement to crack down on unsolicited email Alun Michael said 4th July 2005

"We have long been keen to engage with China on the issue of spam, in particular because China is probably the second biggest source of spam in the world." "During our Presidency of the EU and beyond, we will continue to intensify our activities with Chinese and other partners to address spam and viruses, and therefore contribute to the continued development and safety of the global information society."

Internet Censorship

Borders and Internet Governance: Challenges for Businesses Operating Abroad panel debate 31 January 2007

...
When one hears things like freedom its always in the instinct to say that with all freedoms comes responsibilities. Its better to have a culture of taking responsibility than to have of waiting for enforcement. [Garbled] where as partnerships, working things through together, looking at how enterprise can be encouraged within an appropriate environment do. I think the example I would give is in the UK we have dealt with child abuse, I will not call it pornography its child abuse, because behind the images are actual abuses of children. What we have ended up with is a partnership involving children's charities, non governmental organisations, law enforcers, the police, government and industry together succeeding in reducing the number of images of child abuse hosted in the UK. From some thing like 16 percent down to less than point 1 percent, over a couple of years. As a Home Office colleague said to me at the end of our review session, [that would not have been achieved] in ten years with legislation. I just commend the partnership model and not to much fear about each other, is the right way forward. Trust is actually some thing that has to be earned but its worth working at.

In response to a comment that censorship is futile

I really think that contribution is wrong headed, I am sorry, fr instance you just referred to the futility of censorship, if we have some censorship which prevents some of the actualality of child abuse that's behind the images, then I am sorry that aint futile. There is a responsibility it seems to me, to show that you have thought through, and that there are benefits to come from a particular aproach, you can not just demand it. And I am saying that as some body who wants to reduce the amount of legislation the government undertakes and do things by agreement not by legislation. But there is responsibility to show not to demand that you be allowed to do what you want to do.

Commons Written response Internet Pornography 18 February 1998

"Filtering software packages, such as Net Nanny, are available which enable parents to deny access to material containing sexually explicit words. Building on this, a working group of representatives from the IWF and Internet Service Providers has been devising a common ratings system suitable for United Kingdom Internet users on which there is growing international co-operation. This system is expected to address legal, but potentially offensive, material without curtailing freedom of expression. The Foundation aims to work on this system over the next 18 months and, once it is available, expects it to extend to newsgroups as well as web sites."

Internet Governance

Borders and Internet Governance: Challenges for Businesses Operating Abroad panel debate 31 January 2007

Alun Michael Labour and Co-operative MP for Cardiff South & Penarth and I think my job is to be the innocent amateur on this Panel. I was Minister of State for Trade and Industry till last May and in that capacity had the pleasure of being part of the discussion in Tunis which leads me to why the internet governance Forum is absolutely critical for avoiding us being dragged into areas we just don't want to go. I have done a short paper which I have put around which I hope might help to persuade people, if your not already persuaded of the importance of that.

Alun Michael was on the opening panel of the Nominet IGF meeting 14 October 2006

Internet Gambling

Borders and Internet Governance: Challenges for Businesses Operating Abroad panel debate 31 January 2007 When asked about the on-line gambling ban in the USA and the impact it is having on the UK.

Its not an issue that gets me terribly excited to be honest. Its one of those issues that's seen for many people in the United States as if you like a moral issue and a constitutional issue, and its seen not just in the UK but more widely in Europe as a competition issue. Is it possible to refuse access in effect to a market on Geographical grounds, when in many other ways the United States impinges on all sorts of other markets or United States companies do. Perhaps its more grown-up to regard all these companies as not either American or European or British or Japanese companies but as international companies operating in an international market. I think there is if you like freedom or flexibility has increased on our side of the Atlantic and there's a more sort of old fashioned Stalinist approach over in the United States.

Communications Bill

Governance of the Internet Debate 26 October 2011

He is concerned about Online Child Abuse, but does not think that creating new additional legislation is the way forward.

News

2007-01-31 - Congressional Internet Caucus, State of the Net Conference - Borders and Internet Governance: Challenges for Businesses Operating Abroad
Summary: mp3 recording of the talk. Internet gambling laws, pornography, child abuse, freedom of speech, different laws in different countries.
2007-01-10 - The Register - Bloggers unite! Governments ask for advice on future of net
Author: Kieren McCarthy
Summary: Discussion will cover the future of the internet and seek answers to the problems the medium has thrown up, including spam, phishing, freedom of speech, and child pornography. The results will then be fed into a global meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) that will be held in Athens at the end of the month, and that meeting's chair, United Nations representative Nitin Desai, will be present and giving a speech alongside trade minister Alun Michael.
2006-10-14 - kierenmccarthy.co.uk - Nominet IGF meeting audio recordings
Summary: Nominet held a meeting over the IGF on Monday which has attracted a fair amount of attention, most of it revolving around Nitin Desai’s remarks at the end, picked up by the BBC. Audio of the Opening Panel: Emily Taylor (Nominet), Alun Michael MP, Nitin Desai. 22 mins
2006-10-09 - The Register - Bloggers unite! Governments ask for advice on future of net
Author: Kieren McCarthy
Summary: A meeting of the internet's top brass as well as UK politicians, businessmen, and academics will take place in London at 2pm today - and bloggers have been asked to make their voices heard. Discussion will cover the future of the internet and seek answers to the problems the medium has thrown up, including spam, phishing, freedom of speech, and child pornography. The results will then be fed into a global meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) that will be held in Athens at the end of the month, and that meeting's chair, United Nations representative Nitin Desai, will be present and giving a speech alongside trade minister Alun Michael.
2006-04-25 - The Register - UK PLC security prognosis mixed
Author: Chris Williams
Summary: DTI Information Security Breaches Survey 2006 (ISBS), indicates that small companies in particular still haven't gotten wise to the threats posed by malware. ... Viruses are still the main culprits of network breaches. DTI Minister of State Alun Michael said this year's survey showed IT security had reached the tipping point between "spotty teenage nerds" hacking for kicks, and organised crime "following the money". The report confirms the picture is changing from the computer-crashing, headline grabbers, to insidious background lurkers, more akin to a lifetime of herpes irritation than a speedy death from meningitis.
2006-02-09 - Computer Weekly - Government fears UK could be left behind in comms race
Author: Antony Savvas
Summary: The government is concerned that the UK could be left behind in the race to adopt new IP access technologies. At this week’s annual Communications Management Association conference, telecoms regulator Ofcom estimated that by the end of this year, around 40% of France’s infrastructure traffic will be linked to voice over IP communications. France has invested heavily in IP-based networks in recent years and the VoIP take-up figure, along with take-up for next generation services such as video to the desktop, is much higher than in the UK. ... In a message to the CMA conference, Alun Michael, minister for industry and the regions, praised the appearance of triple play services in France which cost around £20 a month based on a 20mbps connection.
2005-11-21 - The Register - Light regulation will beat child porn, says trade minister
Author: Kieren McCarthy
Summary: Light-touch regulation, minimal legisation and a close working relationship with business is the answer to the net's problems, not least child pornography, according to UK secretary of state for trade Alun Michael. Michael said that working with industry on the child porn issue in particular had achieved more in one year that legislation could have done in five - and at minimal cost.
2005-11-18 - The Register - ABC broadband conference cancelled
Author: Tim Richardson
Summary: Clashed with Govt-backed summit. ... The Government-backed "Broadband Britain Summit" to be held at London's QEII Conference Centre on Monday (November 21) includes presentations by Industry Minister Alun Michael and Ofcom bigwig Ed Richards, and will look at how "achieving digital excellence can improve the cohesion of UK society, the wealth of its economy and the quality of life of its citizens"
2005-09-12 - The Register - UK.gov backs SMEs for public sector contracts
Summary: Alun Michael, the small business minister, has "urged" councils to open their doors wider to small firms and take advantage of the expertise, innovation and value for money gains potentially on offer.
2005-09-08 - The Register - EU commissioner outlines e-inclusion plans
Summary: DTI minister Alun Michael warned delegates that Europe could not afford to be complacent about its future in the global knowledge economy. "The i2010 Strategy is our blueprint to make Europe the most competitive and knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010", he said.
2005-07-04 - The Register - China signs anti-spam pact
Author: Tim Richardson
Summary: China - the world's second biggest producer of spam behind the US - has signed up to an international agreement to crack down on unsolicited email. Keen to welcome China's involvement against spam UK eminister Alun Michael said: "We have long been keen to engage with China on the issue of spam, in particular because China is probably the second biggest source of spam in the world." "During our Presidency of the EU and beyond, we will continue to intensify our activities with Chinese and other partners to address spam and viruses, and therefore contribute to the continued development and safety of the global information society."
2005-05-13 - The Register - Dippy makeover sees return of DTI
Author: Tim Richardson
Summary: Step forward Alun Michael MP, Minister of State for Industry and the Regions. His job is to be "responsible for supporting successful enterprise" with ecommerce, and the communications and information industries, firmly in his beat.
2004-06-01 - The Register - IBM beats CapGemini to Defra deal
Author: Lucy Sherriff
Summary: Over 300 government IT staff will transfer to IBM as part of an outsourcing deal that will see the tech giant take over the day-to-day running of IT systems for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), for up to 17 years. ... Alun Michael, Minister of state for rural affairs, said the agreement will create capacity to accelerate the department's pace of change. IBM is also expected to provide "a continuous source of technology and business process innovation", according to a statement issued last week.
2004-01-27 - The Register - Conference tackles rural broadband issues
Author: Tim Richardson
Summary: A two-day conference exploring how rural areas can benefit from high speed Internet access kicked off today at Cisco Europe's HQ near Heathrow. ... In a "video presentation" Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael MP told delegates: "ABC has acted as an excellent catalyst bringing together public sector, industry, community and consumer interests in the broadband debate. [It] illustrates again how important it is to take a multi-stakeholder approach to overcoming problems of the digital divide."
2003-07-31 - The Register - Govt BB aggregation plans take step forward
Author: Tim Richardson
Summary: The Regional Aggregation Bodies (RABs) - set up in partnership with Regional Development Authorities (RDAs) - will be responsible for buying broadband services for public sector organisations while cutting costs for the public sector. ... Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael added that the RABs should help extend the availability of broadband in rural areas.
2003-07-16 - The Register - Town Mouse much faster (still) than Country Mouse
Summary: A huge digital divide still exists between broadband connections in rural and urban areas, according to a new report published today by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. ... The Minster for Rural Affairs, Alun Michael, confirmed it was the government’s aim "that every community in the UK irrespective of location, should be able to access broadband at affordable rates within a reasonable time."
2003-05-22 - The Register - E-minister calls on Comms.biz to bridge Digital Divide
Author: Tim Richardson
Summary: It's been a busy day for Mr Timms. Earlier today he joined Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael to give local communities a slap on the back for their efforts to bring broadband to their areas. Visiting Rother in East Sussex, the ministers said it was the Government's aim that "every community in the UK, irrespective of location, should have the opportunity to access affordable broadband from a competitive market".

Links

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