HC Deb 23 February 1995 vol 255 cc316-7W
Mr. Blunkett

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what measures currently exist for monitoring illegal or threatening material being placed on the Internet from(a) within the United Kingdom and (b) from outside the United Kingdom but being accessed from within.

Mr. Ian Taylor

[holding answer 20 February 1995]: The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 has updated existing legal controls on obscene and pornographic material to take account of advances in computer technology. Although the monitoring of the Internet is an operational matter for the chief constable of each force, the Government have encouraged the National Council for Educational Technology to prepare guidance for teachers and parents on computer pornography. The overall question of monitoring the Internet is one that is being considered by relevant Government Departments.