Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Covid-19: Tackling Disinformation

Monday 6 July 2020 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Tommy Sheppard questioned the Government on steps taken to tackle disinformation during the covid-19 pandemic.
  • Sheppard inquired why the Government refuses to release a report, citing the lack of a formed security committee as the reason for non-release.
  • Angela Crawley asked the Minister for urgent action on social media sites to clamp down on misinformation, to which the response indicated that the military counters disinformation while other departments handle misinformation.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Tommy Sheppard SNP Edinburgh East
Democracy & Elections Culture, Media & Sport
Context

Disinformation in the context of the ongoing pandemic.

Question

What steps is the Government taking to help tackle disinformation in the context of the covid-19 pandemic?

Answer from James Heappey, Minister for Defence Procurement

The MOD supports the Government's campaign against covid-19 disinformation by providing specialist personnel in advisory roles. This work is led by the Cabinet Office and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and the Government also works closely with social media platforms and academia to tackle this issue.

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Q2 Tommy Sheppard SNP Edinburgh East
Democracy & Elections Foreign Affairs
Context

The National Security Council's report has been ready for publication since October 2019 but remains unpublished.

Question

To have trust and confidence in our democracy, the people of the United Kingdom need openness and transparency. If the Government have nothing to hide, why do they continue to refuse to release this report?

Answer from James Heappey, Minister for Defence Procurement

The security committee is not yet formed, which is why the report has not yet been published.

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Q3 Angela Crawley SNP Westminster North
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

Disinformation about covid-19 can spread rapidly and poses significant risks.

Question

Does the Minister agree with me and the majority of the public surveyed by the Open Knowledge Foundation that the Government need to urgently impose compulsory action on social media sites to clamp down on the spread of such misinformation?

Answer from James Heappey, Minister for Defence Procurement

Again, I am comfortable responding about disinformation, which the military has an active role in countering, but misinformation is the responsibility of my colleagues in the Cabinet Office and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

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