§ Mr. Jim MurphyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the National Union of Students regarding the operation of racist groups on college and university campuses. [155452]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienI have not discussed this matter with the National Union of Students (NUS) nor have I been asked to meet the NUS to discuss this issue. The Government are fully committed to tackling racism and anti-Semitism wherever it occurs. We have laws, such as the law on incitement to racial hatred, to deal with those who seek to stir up racial hatred. The question of whether groups on college or university campuses are breaching these laws is a matter for the police.
§ Mr. Jim MurphyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what initiatives his Department is undertaking to monitor websites which contain antisemitic material. [155451]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe Government condemn those who use the internet to distribute racist material of this kind. The law on incitement to racial hatred applies to material on the internet which comes within our jurisdiction.
Monitoring criminal activity is a matter for the police. In November last year my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced that the Government were making available £25 million to the police over the next three years to initiate the implementation of a national high-tech crime strategy. That will enhance the capability of law enforcement to investigate crime, including racially-motivated crime, more effectively where new technology is used.
Additionally, the Government are assisting the Internet Watch Foundation to set up a complaint hotline which will enable the public to report racially inflammatory material they find on the internet.