§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to promote awareness and safe internet usage, with particular reference to younger people. [126940]
§ Paul Goggins[holding answer 8 September 2003]: Over the last two years, the Home Secretary's Task Force on Child Protection on the Internet has run and evaluated two successful national awareness campaigns. The campaigns sought to raise awareness of Internet safety measures, via cinema, television and radio advertising, national newspapers, online advertising on teen websites and chatrooms, and sponsorship activity. The core messages that were conveyed were that: children/young people should not give out their address, email, mobile or other contact details, that they should never attend a face-to-face meeting unaccompanied by an adult, and that people may lie about their identity. The task force also issued a 'Keeping your child safe on the Internet' leaflet and 200,000 copies of the leaflet were distributed via doctors surgeries and as an insert in the Department for Education and Skills magazine Parents + Schools.
The Home Office also runs two websites, thinkuknow.co.uk and wiseuptothenet.co.uk. The former is aimed at children and young people and the latter is aimed at parents. The Department for Education and Skills, Superhighway website and guidance, includes advice on all aspects of Internet safety such as walled gardens, firewalls, user contacts and net smart rules. Their revised guidance also includes advice on e-mails for students, filtering systems, school websites and chatrooms.