Displaying items by tag: House of Lords

After receiving 430 letters of concern over proposed new regulations for Relationships and Sex Education, the House of Lords will now publicly debate the issue first, rather than just voting. The House of Commons voted to pass the new regulations on 27 March, but the Lords still have the power to prevent them from becoming law. The date of the debate has not yet been set. Pray that as the Lords debate the proposals, they will recognise the concerns of Christians and many other parents about the steady erosion of parents’ freedom to determine how to teach their children about morals, sexuality and gender ‘in conformity with their religious and philosophical convictions’. This freedom is guaranteed by the first protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights.

A House of Lords committee has been considering the effectiveness of the Bribery Act. It concludes that, although it is an effective piece of legislation, there is a danger that any future discussions around it could be used as a backdoor to watering it down. As the UK prepares to leave the EU, looking for new export markets and trade deals, it is more important than ever that British business is conducted fairly and in line with global standards. Many in business understand the damage that bribery does to their companies, the markets and the lives of ordinary people. But there is still space to make our anti-bribery framework even stronger.

The internet can deliver inappropriate and illegal online bullying, self-harm advice, fake news, and data misuse to anyone, of any age. A Christian perspective upholds ‘human flourishing on strong foundations within agreed ethical frameworks’. These are lacking online, but things could change. The House of Lords has produced an agreed set of ten principles that shape and frame internet regulations, and a new ‘Digital Authority’ to oversee rules, with access to the highest level of Government to facilitate any changes needed. These principles are: - the same level of protection online as offline - accountability for actions and policies - transparency and openness to scrutiny - openness to innovation and competition - protecting the privacy of individuals - ethical design - ensuring that services act in the interests of users and society - childhood recognition to protect the vulnerable - respect for human rights - and education to enable people to navigate the internet safely. See also World article 6, on technology.