§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures have been introduced since 1997 to combat Internet pornography. [30816]
§ Beverley HughesThe Government are determined to tackle illegal pornography whether on or off line, and the criminal law applies equally to both.
We are particularly concerned to deal with child pornography both on and off line. In January 2001, we raised the maximum penalties for taking, making, 676W distributing or showing indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children to 10 years (from three years), and the maximum penalty for simple possession of such material to five years (from six months).
In November 2000, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced a £25 million investment in the police over three years specifically to fight hi-tech crime and to enhance the capability of the police at a national and local level to investigate computer based offences, including the possession and distribution of illegal pornography.
In March 2001, the then Home Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Blackburn (Mr. Straw), established a Task Force on Child Protection on the Internet. The task force began work in May. It is a partnership of: representatives from Internet service and communication providers; the Internet Watch Foundation, set up in 1996 which provides a hotline for the public to report child pornography; PC and software retailers and manufacturers; child welfare organisations; the main opposition parties; law enforcement agencies and academics. The task force is looking at proposals for legislation to tackle paedophile 'grooming' activity on and off-line; a best practice model of Internet chat safety measures for providers and computer awareness training for the police and child protection practitioners.
Internationally, the Government actively support efforts within the European Union, and more widely, to combat child pornography on the Internet. In November 2001, we signed the Council of Europe convention on Cybercrime, which will underpin co-operative action between signatory states in respect of computer-related crimes, including the making, distribution and possession of child pornography.