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Online Safety Bill - Lords amendment 263 and related amendments
14 April 2026
Lead MP
Sarah Jones
Debate Type
Bill Debate
Tags
Science & Technology
Other Contributors: 36
At a Glance
Sarah Jones raised concerns about online safety bill - lords amendment 263 and related amendments in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
Moves an amendment to Lords amendment 263, aiming to [2D [K to address issues in the current bill regarding online safety measures. She [3D [K She highlights concerns around user safety and the need for a proactive app [3D [K approach rather than reactive measures.
Caroline Nokes
Con
Draws attention to financial privilege and discusses [9D [K discusses numerous Government amendments in lieu of Lords amendments, focus [5D [K focusing on rejecting many proposed changes. She acknowledges interventions [13D [K interventions but does not explicitly support any new amendments.
Gosport
Supports a safety-by-design approach in AI regulatio [9D [K regulation, emphasising prevention over reaction and referencing tragic cas [3D [K cases involving AI chatbots. She criticises the Government's narrow focus o [1D [K on illegal content rather than proactive measures.
Welcomes image deletion orders but also supports Lor [3D [K Lords amendment 361, highlighting its importance in removing unjust investi [7D [K investigations from women’s records to enable them to move on with their li [2D [K lives.
Emphasises that non-consensual intimate image abuse [K victims suffer ongoing harm as long as images remain online, supporting the [3D [K the Government's measures but also advocating for faster implementation.
Asks about timescales and work being done to progres [7D [K progress regulations within 12 months. She supports the need for rapid acti [4D [K action on image deletion orders.
Stella Creasy
Lab
Walthamstow
Raises concerns about the integrity of terrorist pro [3D [K proscription, asking for better delineation to protect people's ability to [K protest against it without facing arrest.
Sammy Wilson
DUP
East Antrim
Critiques current legislation as inadequate in North [5D [K Northern Ireland, citing examples of glorification and encouragement of ter [3D [K terrorism by individuals and Sinn Féin ministers.
Chi Onwurah
Lab
Newcastle upon Tyne Central
Welcomes Lords amendment 367 for giving the Governme [8D [K Government power to amend the Online Safety Act but questions whether it is [2D [K is sufficient and calls for action on AI chatbots before the end of the yea [3D [K year.
Alex Sobel
Lab
Leeds North West
Supports an amendment to acknowledge the systemic is [2D [K issue of honour-based abuse, noting that it involves networks rather than i [1D [K individuals and impacts victims deeply.
Andy McDonald
Lab
Middlesbrough
Asks about the status of Lord Macdonald's review on [K public order and hate crime laws, questioning why they are legislating with [4D [K without its conclusion.
Richard Burgon
Lab
Leeds East
Expresses alarm at Government measures seen as attac [5D [K attacks on peaceful protest rights and questions the need for a proper vote [4D [K vote on such matters.
Matt Vickers
Lab
West Lancashire
Vickers argued for stronger penalties against fly-ti [6D [K fly-tippers, including liability for costs incurred as a result of their ac [2D [K actions. He also supported measures to end the investigation and recording [K of non-crime hate incidents and ensure that time and resources are used mor [3D [K more effectively in policing communities.
Sammy Wilson
DUP
East Antrim
Wilson interjected to emphasise the high costs incur [5D [K incurred by landowners due to fly-tipping, arguing that stronger sanctions [K are necessary as a deterrent.
Edward Leigh
Con
Gainsborough
Leigh interjected to express concern about Lords ame [3D [K amendment 361 and its implications for late-term abortion, suggesting it co [2D [K could lead to a free pardon in serious cases.
Andy McDonald
Lab
Middlesbrough
McDonald interjected to question why the Conservativ [11D [K Conservative party did not act on proscribing the IRGC during their previou [7D [K previous time in government.
Tonia Antoniazzi
Lab
Gower
Supports Lords amendment 361 to protect women alread [6D [K already harmed by outdated abortion laws. Praises the Government for making [6D [K making changes to ensure workability and emphasises that no woman should be [2D [K be criminalised for seeking medical care during a crisis. Advocates for aut [3D [K automatic pardons for convictions or cautions, expunging records of arrests [7D [K arrests and investigations.
Andy McDonald
Lab
Middlesbrough
Lords amendment 312 represents a continuation of exp [3D [K expanding public order powers, which is concerning. It resurrects provision [9D [K provisions previously rejected and quashed by courts, suggesting that legis [5D [K legislating for cumulative disruption may not clarify but instead complicat [9D [K complicate matters further.
Zarah Sultana
Lab
Birmingham, Warley
The amendment is an attack on democratic freedoms, t [1D [K targeting Palestine solidarity movements and endangering trade unions' righ [4D [K rights. It sets a dangerous precedent for suppressing dissent and inhibits [K peaceful protest. The Government's pattern of repression includes proscribi [9D [K proscribing non-violent groups and arresting protesters.
Jo Platt
Lab
Leigh
Welcomes the Bill as tackling issues like antisocial [10D [K antisocial behaviour, abuse of retail workers, visible neighbourhood polici [6D [K policing, and stronger action on serious harm. Supports Government amendmen [8D [K amendment (a) in lieu of Lords amendment 333 for extending closure orders' [K duration to prevent illicit premises from reopening under new names, restor [6D [K restoring public confidence.
Deeply alarmed by the amendment, which gives police [K unprecedented powers to restrict or prohibit protests deemed too disruptive [10D [K disruptive. It risks undermining democratic freedoms and sets a dangerous p [1D [K precedent for future misuse to suppress all forms of protest.
Sammy Wilson
DUP
East Antrim
Supports amendments on fly-tipping, noting extensive [9D [K extensive costs to victims. Supports Lords amendment 35 for knife sales con [3D [K control in Northern Ireland. Argues against glorification of terrorism in G [1D [K GB and NI, highlighting its prevalence among the Jewish community and its i [1D [K ideological impact on young people.
Jessica Asato
Lab
Liverpool, Wavertree
Jessica Asato supports clauses 105 and 106 which cri [3D [K criminalise possession or publication of strangulation or suffocation in po [2D [K pornography. She cites statistics showing that 36% of women under the age o [1D [K of 34 have been strangled during sex, and strangulation is now the second m [1D [K most common cause of stroke in young women. She also welcomes amendments ba [2D [K banning pornographic content featuring step-incest and performers role-play [9D [K role-playing as children due to their links to child sexual abuse material. [9D [K material.
Hayes and Harlington
Mr. McDonnell supports an amendment to Lords amendme [7D [K amendment 300, emphasising concerns about rushing legislation without prope [5D [K proper debate time and risking significant mistakes. He raises practical co [2D [K concerns that the proposed change will place burdens on police and introduc [8D [K introduce subjective judgment by senior officers. Mr. McDonnell provides hi [2D [K historical examples of demonstrations where disruption was intentional and [K necessary for political expression. He expresses concern over potential tar [3D [K targeting of Palestine Solidarity Campaign demonstrations and a perceived b [1D [K bias among Metropolitan Police towards far-right groups, undermining peacef [6D [K peaceful protest rights.
Chris Hinchliff
Lab
Houghton and Sunderland South
Lords amendment 312 infringes on civil liberties wit [3D [K without sufficient evidence. It contradicts Labour's historic mission to em [2D [K empower ordinary people and risks shifting power towards vested interests. [K The amendment is vague, lacks definitions, and could easily be abused to re [2D [K restrict protests deemed inconvenient due to their persistence.
Nusrat Ghani
Con
Wealden
Called for MPs to return to the Chamber as the Minis [5D [K Minister was about to speak, without providing specific arguments or positi [6D [K position on the amendment itself.
Steve Witherden
Tory
Cannock Chase
Welcomed most of the Bill but warned that Lords amen [4D [K amendment 312 has serious implications for fundamental rights and could be [K abused by future far-right Governments. Supported the motion to disagree wi [2D [K with the Lords amendment due to concerns about its impact on sustained peac [4D [K peaceful protest.
Sarah Jones
Lab
Croydon Central
The speaker supports extending aggravated offences t [1D [K to cover additional characteristics to protect victims adequately. She emph [4D [K emphasises that this is not about policing lawful speech but ensuring that [K criminal conduct driven by hostility towards protected identities receives [K appropriate penalties.
Matt Vickers
Lab
Stockton West
He disagrees with Lords amendment 301, suggesting it [2D [K it may not achieve its objectives through sentencing guidelines and questio [7D [K questions the Government's approach to tackling illegal high street busines [7D [K businesses.
Melanie Onn
Lab
Great Grimsby
She supports measures against dodgy shops, aiming to [2D [K to tackle illegality affecting high streets and echoes concerns about the r [1D [K rise of illegality on UK high streets.
Jo Platt
Lab
Leigh and Atherton
She supports measures against dodgy shops, aiming to [2D [K to tackle illegality affecting high streets and echoes concerns about the r [1D [K rise of illegality on UK high streets.
Rachel Taylor
Conservativ [12D [K (Conservative
North Warwickshire and Bedworth
She supports aggravated offences amendments, as it w [1D [K will support victims by providing additional protection beyond sentencing c [1D [K considerations.
Sammy Wilson
DUP
East Antrim
He raised concerns about the glorification of terror [6D [K terrorism but was not present for detailed discussion on this specific topi [4D [K topic during Sarah Jones's speech.
Jess Asato
Con
Lowestoft
She advocates for proactive verification of age and [K consent, tackling sexualized violence online, and honour-based abuse traini [6D [K training modules to enhance multi-agency responses.
Andy McDonald
Lab
Middlesbrough
He respects the concern that protest rights need bal [3D [K balancing with the impact of protests but suggests it would be better to aw [2D [K await Lord Macdonald's review before taking further legislative measures.
John McDonnell
Lab
Hayes and Harlington
He expresses concern about police discretion in appl [4D [K applying cumulative disruption definitions, especially given recent protest [7D [K protests involving laying flowers for dead children.
Judith Cummins
Lab
Bradford South
Noted technical issues with the pass reader system f [1D [K for voting, advised Members to wait until the readers activate before votin [5D [K voting. Announced that divisions had occurred and provided details of votin [5D [K voting outcomes.
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