Sheila Gilmore MP

Children online

On 14/01/2013

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to protect children on the internet; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey MP answered

I am a co-chair of the Executive Board for the UK Council on Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS). Through UKCCIS Government is working to create practical and effective ways to help keep children safe online; including asking internet service providers to actively encourage parents to switch on parental controls. UKCCIS is also working with the main manufacturers and retailers toward putting in place device level solutions to filter inappropriate content and with providers of public WiFi services to automatically filter adult content on services provided directly to the public. The Prime Minister has recently appointed my hon. Friend Claire Perry as his adviser on the sexualisation and commercialisation of childhood. She will be working with Reg Bailey, UKCCIS, and Ministers to press the internet industries to deliver universally-available family-friendly internet access which is easy to use.