House of Commons · General Debate
01 March 2021 · 4 other contributors
Opened by Vicky Ford Con Constituency
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Vicky Ford raised concerns about children and young persons in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.
Key points
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
These regulations amend the Education Act 2002 and the Electronic Commerce Directive (Adoption and Children Act 2002) Regulations 2005 to remove statutory measures that implemented article 3 of the e-commerce directive, better known as the country of origin principle. They ensure that online service providers can be prosecuted in the UK for committing offences under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 and the Education Act 2002 if these services are provided within the UK.
These regulations remove the country of origin principle from UK laws in relation to adoption and teacher misconduct. They ensure that online service providers are liable for prosecution in the UK if they commit offences under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 or Education Act 2002 while providing services within the UK, but questions remain about enforcement measures for cases where breaches occur outside of the UK.
The regulations remove EU reciprocal arrangements in Scotland. Any non-UK online service provider operating a service in Scotland would be prosecuted according to Scottish law.
These regulations may require urgent remediation of deficiencies in Northern Irish legislation due to the UK's withdrawal from the EU. Questions are raised regarding discussions with Northern Ireland’s Minister Peter Weir and steps taken to ensure similar regulations apply across all regions of the United Kingdom.
Thanked everyone for their contributions to the debate, expressed gratitude towards those who negotiated for a smooth exit from the EU. She clarified that the underlying law has not changed but where people will be prosecuted if they breach it has. Emphasised that these regulations do not diminish offences described in the Education Act 2002 or the electronic commerce directive regulations and reaffirmed that children in care would continue to be protected under the current laws.