§ Laura MoffattTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures he has taken and plans to take to alert parents to the dangers of paedophiles using the internet to target children. [75335]
§ Hilary BennThe Government set up a Task Force on Child Protection on the internet in spring 2001.
A public awareness campaign was launched by the Home Office in December 2001, following discussion in the Task Force, to alert children of 14–16 and parents of younger children to the dangers presented by paedophiles using the internet, to deliver key safety messages, and to advise them of sources of information and support. The campaign used advertisements in national newspapers and magazines, radio, cinemas, satellite TV, and online. The key points were to make clear that someone a child meets on the internet may not be who they seem, and that children should not give out personal information online. This was well received and evaluation showed that it was successful in raising awareness of the key messages. We are now considering further activity to be carried out later this year.