HL Deb 19 December 2002 vol 642 cc162-3WA
Baroness Gale

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What progress has been made by the video-on-demand industry in establishing a self-regulatory system that will ensure adequate protection for children when video-on-demand services are deregulated. [HL818]

Baroness Blackstone

We are pleased to announce that the video-on-demand industry has made excellent progress with the development of a binding code of practice, and it has written to my right honourable friend, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with details of that code. My right honourable friend is satisfied that the code represents a system that will provide adequate protection for children, and to subscribers to video-on-demand services. My right honourable friend asked the industry to keep her informed of its progress in establishing the self-regulatory system set out in the code, so that it can come fully into effect on enactment of the relevant provisions of the Communications Bill.

Copies of the code of practice have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and the text is also available on the DCMS departmental website at www.culture.gov.uk.