House of Commons
Parliament

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Wrapping up the short debate on online pornography, Digital Minister Margot James says "this is a contribution to the greater security of children and young people online, it is not a solution".

She says Digital, Media, Culture and Sport Secretary Jeremy Wright will review the performance of the regulations in 12 to 18 months.

Ms James adds that the white paper on online harms will be published in the new year, and that a duty of care shown by social media platforms is something that is being looked at within this.

In response to Labour's criticism, she says it is "unlikely" that online sites will flood their websites with safe, non-pornographic material to ensure that the amount of pornographic content they are hosting is below the 30% threshold.

All the motions pass without division.

House of Commons
Parliament

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SNP Business, Energy and Industry spokesperson Drew Hendry says he hopes parties will work together to battle against online porn as "there is much more to do".

He adds that he is concerned that the regulations will not apply to social media accounts.

Mr Hendry says the SNP support measures that as a start "aim to protect our children in a digital age".

House of Lords
Parliament

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In the Lords, peers are responding to Theresa May's statement on the EU Council held at the weekend, given earlier in the Commons.

The Bishop of Leeds says that the vote has already divided the country, and that politics has already been damaged by the vote.

He says it is "misleading to the country" to suggest that if the UK proceeds with this part of the process then Brexit "is done".

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park, Leader of the Lords, says that the deal will be able to deliver what the British people want.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Minister Margot James says the regulations do not cover social media "where pornography only makes up a small amount of the content".

Ms James says "social media companies enforce their own regulations," but notes that there is "much more to be done by social media companies to uphold their own terms and conditions".

A key part of the Digital Economy Act ensures that those under 18 cannot access online pornography.

Shadow digital economy minister Liam Bryne says the regulations "touch on the problem, but absolutely do not solve the problem".

Mr Bryne says "it is important we get these reforms right as they are needed so urgently," and notes ten "deficiencies" in the regulations, including only 30% of content being the level to trigger a website being shut down, and omitting social media firms from the rules.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Minister Margot James is now introducing a debate on a series of motions to approve regulations on online pornography.

These include a regulation on age verification to ensure those under 18 cannot access online pornography and pornography delivered via social media.

There is 90 minutes set aside to discuss these three orders.

Ms James says "in the offline world there are strong laws to prevent children accessing pornography" and that it is "important that the loopholes where children can stumble across this material inadvertently are closed".

House of Commons
Parliament

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Speaker John Bercow says that he is satisfied that this is enough for an emergency debate.

He says he will advise MPs later, towards the end of the day in the Commons, for how long the debate should take and when it will take place.

He says there is "good reason" why he can't provide the time and length immediately, as he normally would.

House of Commons
Parliament

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The SNP's Westminster Leader Ian Blackford is requesting that an urgent debate be granted on conversations that were had at the European Council on the withdrawal agreement.

Mr Blackford says he believes the House should consider the result of the prime minister's latest conversations with the EU member states at the Council last week, as the statement "was not good enough to hear the wide range of views from the House on the current situation".

"The prime minister is running around like a headless chicken, the EU are not budging and the prime minister must realise her deal is dead," he says, calling for Theresa May to bring forward a meaningful vote this week.

"I asked for an emergency debate for this shambolic government to be held to account," Mr Blackford concludes.

But Labour is to table a vote of no confidence in Theresa May as it urges an immediate vote on her deal.

House of Lords
Parliament

Over in the Lords, the government have been defeated on opposition amendment 31 to the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill.

214 peers voted in support of the amendment, with 196 voting against.

The amendment called for an independent review and report on the Prevent strategy's work supporting vulnerable people drawn into terrorism.

Peers now move onto the next group of amendments.

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Work and Pensions Committee Chair Frank Field says the gig economy "works to the detriment of care workers," and many others "who are forced into self-employment against their will".

He asks for those workers to receive a guarantee that they won't be forced into self-employment.

Mr Clark says that the government "have tabled a large number of statutory instruments" to bring such new rules into effect, and he adds that "flexibility that is offered in the gig economy is offered rather than compelled".

House of Commons
Parliament

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Chair of the Business Committee, Rachel Reeves, says her committee and the Work and Pensions Committee found that workers frequently relied on tribunals in order to seek justice.

She asks for a reduction in tribunal fees and criticises the lack of government response in failing to enforce the minimum wage.

Mr Clark says "it is absolutely essential" that the government sends a message that people's working rights "are non-negotiable".

The government is not increasing penalties on minimum wage violations as they were increased 18 months ago, and the government needs to "consider" the effect of that.

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Peers now move onto the second day of report stage for the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill.

This bill makes provisions for fighting terrorism and enables persons at ports and borders to be questioned for national security purposes.

House of Commons
Parliament

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The SNP's business spokesperson, Drew Hendry, says the government is presiding over a period of wage growth decline.

He says Mr Clark has failed to take "any action" to end discrimination against young people in the workplace, including the practice of unpaid work trials.

Mr Clark says Matthew Taylor has said that banning zero hours contracts would "negatively impact many more people than it helps".

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Concluding debate, Senior Deputy Speaker Lord McFall of Alcuith says there have been many previous opportunities for peers to submit concerns on the grievance procedure, and urges them to do so now if there are issues. He "looks forward to an avalanche" of responses.

The independent commissioner for standards, the sub-committee and the privileges and conduct committee carried out their roles "dutifully", he says, which is demonstrated by the evidence.

He says every peer was invited to view this evidence - which he says is "detailed...comprehensive and fair to all parties" - but "no one took up that invitation".

A peer who read the evidence after the first debate then intervenes to say it was "absolutely overwhelming and persuasive."

The commissioner found that the Lord Lester was guilty of "a grave abuse of power", Lord McFall says, which has been endorsed by his committee.

The motion in support of the committee's report then passes, without division.

House of Commons
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Chair of the Equalities Committee Maria Miller says she is "struck" by how few protections there are for pregnant women in the new rules.

Mr Clark says this is "not the only set of powers" that will strengthen worker powers.

House of Commons
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Mr Clark replies that the UK should "reflect" on the success it has had in creating jobs.

"Matthew Taylor himself" noted that if tax levels and tax credits are taken into account, then "take home pay" is higher than many other countries in the G7, he states.

"It is always Conservatives in government that put in the protection for workers," he says.