Question reference: S6W-00578
- Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 9 June 2021
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Current status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 23 June 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its responsibilities regarding children's rights and child protection, what action it can take to protect young people from accessing harmful material online; what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the decision not to implement Part 3 of the Digital Economy Act 2017, which is aimed at offering such protection, and whether it has asked the UK ministers to reconsider this decision.
Answer
Keeping children safe online is a key priority of the Scottish Government.
Additional funding was made available to Police Scotland for enhanced enforcement activity in direct response to the increase in reporting of online child sexual abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Scottish Government continues to support Police Scotland’s response, ensuring that hundreds of children have been safeguarded by police enforcement.
We continue our significant funding commitments to third sector partners such as the NSPCC, Barnardo’s Scotland and Stop It Now! Scotland.
We have strengthened legislation and increased funding to make it easier for victims and survivors to come forward and speak out against abusers. We are also collaborating with third sector and operational partners to engage the public and raise awareness about the dangers of online abuse, including running successful communications campaigns earlier this year which connected with hundreds of thousands of Scots.
The regulation of the internet and online service providers remain a reserved matter, but we continue to work closely with the UK Government and Ofcom in developing proposals to introduce better safety measures online to help protect children and young people – including close liaison with the UK Government on the forthcoming Online Safety Bill.