Ministers have begun work on a new Internet Safety Strategy aimed at making Britain the safest country in the world for children and young people to be online.

Culture Secretary Karen Bradley is leading the new cross-Government drive on behalf of the Prime Minister – with a green paper expected in the summer.

A report by leading academic Professor Sonia Livingstone has been commissioned to provide up to date evidence of how young people are using the internet, the dangers they face, and the gaps that exist in keeping them safe.

Ministers will also hold a series of round tables in the coming weeks with social media companies, technology firms, young people, charities and mental health experts to examine online risks and how to tackle them.

The work is expected to centre on four main priorities: how to help young people help themselves; helping parents face up the dangers and discuss them with children; industry’s responsibilities to society; and how technology can help provide solutions.

The focus will be on preventing children and young people from harm online and making the internet a safer place.

The round tables are also expected to examine concerns around issues like trolling and other aggressive behaviour including rape threats against women.

They will involve ministers and officials from departments across Government including the Home Office, Department for Education, Department of Health and Ministry of Justice as part of a co-ordinated effort to make the internet safer.

It comes amid growing fears that the threat from online dangers has grown far more quickly than society’s response to them, and worries that tech-savvy young people are being exposed to risks that their parents never were and might not know how to confront – like sexting, cyber bullying, and content which promotes self-harm, suicide and eating disorders.

A recent poll found more parents were concerned about sexting than about their children drinking or smoking. The YouGov survey for the PSHE association showed 78% were either fairly or very concerned about sexting, compared to 69% who concerned about alcohol misuse and 67% who were concerned about smoking.

A study last year for the NSPCC and Children’s Commissioner found 13% of 11 to 16 year-olds reported that they had taken topless pictures of themselves and 3% had taken fully naked pictures of themselves. 
 More than one in 10 young people say they have been the victim of cyber bullying, and self-harm among children is on the rise amid evidence of a link between internet use and an increased risk of self harm.

Karen Bradley, Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, said: 

The internet has provided young people with amazing opportunities but has also introduced a host of new dangers which children and parents have never faced before.


It is increasingly clear that some behaviours which are unacceptable offline are being tolerated or even encouraged online – sometimes with devastating consequences.

“We are determined to make Britain the safest place in the world to be online, and to help people protect themselves from the risks they might face.



To do that we want to understand the full scale of the problem and explore how everyone – including Government, social media companies, technology firms, parents and others  – can play their part in tackling it.

This new work builds on a range of Government initiatives around internet safety, including the Home Office’s world-leading efforts to combat to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

In December, Home Office minister Baroness Shields was appointed the PM’s Special Representative on Internet Crime and Harms, with an international focus on internet safety and security working with global technology companies and other governments to protect UK citizens. As part of the move, Department for Culture Media and Sport Minister Tracey Crouch took on responsibility for domestic online safety.



It also comes as the Department of Health is developing a green paper on children and young persons’ mental health, expected in the Autumn and measures in the Digital Economy Bill currently going through Parliament will introduce age checks for pornographic websites so under-18s cannot view harmful content – with powers to block sites which refuse to comply.

Sonia Livingstone is a professor of Social Psychology at the London School of Economics. Her empirical work examines the risks and opportunities from digital technologies, including for children and young people. She serves on the Executive Board of the UK’s Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) and has advised various Government departments and public bodies

Planned new and ongoing road improvements over the coming week.

CCS have been working with a number of suppliers on our Technology Products 2 agreement (RM3733) to offer you huge savings on a range of products including desktops and laptops.

The sale begins on 1 March and runs throughout the month, or until stock is sold out. Stock availability is limited and will be sold on a first come, first served basis.

These short-term deals with manufacturers, including HPE, HPI, Dell and Lenovo, samsung, Apple, XMA and Toshiba could help you save up to 35% for your organisation – whether you are a school, college, local council, NHS trust, charity, police force or government department.

To view the deals, simply log in to the Purchasing Platform (TP2) and some of the Flash sale products will appear on the landing page. Clicking through will take you to the full listing.

These Flash Sale deals are only available through Technology Products 2 (RM3733 Lot 6) via the catalogue content on the Purchasing Platform.

If you do not have a log on, you can find out more about the Purchasing Platform and how to register here :- https://purchasingplatform.crowncommercial.gov.uk

The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, will hold its next public meeting on 30 March 2017 at York CVS.

William Shawcross, Chairman of the Commission, will open and chair the meeting, followed by a range of presentations from senior staff including the Chief Operating Officer, David Holdsworth. The keynote speech will be delivered by Julia Unwin CBE, Chair of the Independent Inquiry into the Future of Civil Society and former Chief Executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF).

The meeting will focus on the work the Commission does to support charities, including how to engage with us digitally, as well as updates on our key guidance for trustees and what lessons there are from our casework. Attendees will hear an update on the Commission’s activities and have the opportunity to ask questions before the meeting concludes.

The event is free to attend and is aimed at providing charity trustees, employees and advisers with best practice guidance and encouraging good governance.

The meeting will take place from 12 noon to 4pm at York CVS, 15 Priory Street, York, YO1 6ET.

To confirm your attendance, please register to attend through Eventbrite. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please note that only 2 attendees per organisation will be permitted to attend. Members of the press are also welcome to attend the event and are asked to register their interest with the press office directly at pressenquiries@charitycommission.gsi.gov.uk.

Papers for public meeting 30 March 2017

Ends

PR 11/17

Notes to editors

1. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales. To find out more about our work, see our annual report.
2. Search for charities on our online register.

Putting the public finances on a sustainable path is vital to securing a strong and stable economy, and the government will ensure it is delivering value for money while maintaining its commitments on public spending in this Parliament.

The review, which was announced at Budget 2016, will generate £3.5 billion of savings in 2019 to 20, with up to £1 billion to be reinvested in priority areas.

Government departments have today been commissioned to begin drawing up proposals for contributions by modelling scenarios of 3% and 6% savings.

This is part of an ongoing commitment to modern, flexible public services that deliver the best value for money for taxpayers.

The NHS and core schools budgets are protected and do not come under the scope of the review. The government also recognises the important role that social care spending plays and so efficiencies found within local government will be used to help meet existing pressures.

The government will also maintain its commitment to meet the NATO target of spending 2% of GDP on defence and for the defence budget to rise by 0.5% above inflation each year of this Parliament.

An update will be provided in autumn 2017.

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, David Gauke and Ben Gummer, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, have commissioned the work and it will be aligned with a refresh of Single Departmental Plans, so that departments can consider savings options in the context of their business planning.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury, David Gauke, said:

We are committed to a modern, high-quality public sector that delivers the services people need in the most efficient way possible. There has been considerable progress, but there is further to go and the whole of government is working together to consider how we can live within our means while delivering maximum value for every pound of taxpayers money.