HC Deb 16 March 1998 vol 308 cc514-6W
Ms Beverley Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of child pornography made by the Internet Watch Foundation since it was established have led to prosecutions in the UK or abroad. [33333]

Mr. Michael

During the first year of operation, the Internet Watch Foundation has processed 781 reports referring to 4,300 items, of which only 6 per cent. apparently originated in the United Kingdom. 2,000 items were referred to Internet Service Providers as potentially illegal, and to the police via the National Criminal Intelligence Service. Of the small number of notifications relating to material known to have originated in the United Kingdom, I understand that investigations have led to an arrest in one case and in three others information has been helpful to the police. Information about articles originating abroad has facilitated two prosecutions, in Germany and Switzerland, and has been of assistance generally for intelligence purposes.

Ms Beverley Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what action he is taking to increase the proportion of illegal child pornography present on UK Internet service providers' news servers which is identified and then removed; [33332]

(2) what estimate he has made of the proportion of illegal child pornography present within the newsgroups over the last year which has been voluntarily removed by UK Internet service providers from their news servers following advice from the Internet Watch Foundation or the Metropolitan Police. [33331]

Mr. Michael

All child pornography is illegal and the laws relating to it apply equally on the Internet as elsewhere. United Kingdom Internet Service Providers are responsible in law for their own conscious acts and omissions. When they are notified of potentially illegal material on their news servers, they have a responsibility to remove it, and have been diligent in doing so.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) published its first annual report on 3 March, which covered the year December 1996—December 1997. Figures are not available for the total number of items of child pornography that might exist in news groups but, during the period of the report, the IWF notified United Kingdom Internet Service Providers of 2,000 potentially illegal items, reported via the hotline, almost all relating to child pornography. I understand that all the items notified to Internet Service Providers were voluntarily removed by them.

The IWF announced on 3 March that further action was being taken to increase the effectiveness of its work. This includes: introducing new procedures to enable it to undertake pro-active scanning of problem areas and take prompt action to have potentially illegal material removed, without having first received a report via the hotline; increasing public awareness of the new hotline number, and establishing links with other hotlines which are being set up within the European Union and elsewhere.

Ms Beverley Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has received from the Metropolitan Police about the number of internet newsgroups, and the number of articles within such newsgroups, which have contained illegal child pornography over the last year. [33330]

Mr. Michael

The Commissioner tells me that the Metropolitan Police's Organised Crime Group Paedophilia Unit does not monitor the Internet as a matter of course. The Paedophilia Unit does investigate allegations reported to them. This unit works closely with the Metropolitan Police's Clubs and Vice Unit, and the National Criminal Intelligence Service, who are the focal point for incidents reported by the Internet Watch Foundation. The recently published Internet Watch Foundation Annual Report stated that 781 reports were received referring to over 4,300 items. 85 per cent. of actioned reports were about child pornography. Only a small proportion of reported items originated from the United Kingdom (6 per cent.); most were from the United States of America (63 per cent.) and Japan (19 per cent.).

Ms Beverley Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements exist within his Department to monitor the effectiveness of current arrangements for identifying and removing child pornography which is accessible via the Internet to UK residents and businesses. [33328]

Mr. Michael

On 3 March, the Government announced their intention to review the work of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), and to report the results in the Autumn. The review will focus on the effectiveness of the arrangements for dealing with reports of potentially illegal material, the structure and composition of the IWF, extension of its priorities for action and promoting awareness of its work.

More generally, Home Office officials are in regular contact with the IWF on the progress being made in identifying and removing child pornography from the Internet. The statistics produced by the IWF, for its management and policy boards, on reports received and action taken are forwarded to the Home Office and to the Department of Trade and Industry.