Ministers and officials have regular meetings and discussions with stakeholders on a range of issues, including the challenge of addressing disinformation, particularly in an electoral context. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the Gov.uk website.

The Online Harms White Paper sets out our plans for world-leading legislation to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online. We intend to establish in law a new duty of care on companies towards their users, overseen by an independent regulator. Ahead of the implementation of the new regulatory framework, we continue to work closely with companies to encourage them to take early action to address online harms.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Ministry of Justice have also engaged the Law Commission on a second phase of their review of abusive and offensive online communications. As part of this the Law Commission will also look at the criminal law around the non-consensual taking and sharing of intimate images. This includes the creation and sharing of deepfake images. The review will look at existing offences and identify whether there are any gaps in the scope of the protection already offered to victims, making recommendations to ensure that the criminal law provides consistent and effective protection against the creation and sharing of intimate images without consent.

The Government takes the integrity of our electoral processes extremely seriously and we are working across Government to strengthen our electoral system and defend it from interference. In July 2019, the Cabinet Office announced the creation of the Defending Democracy programme, which has been set up to pull together existing work and expertise in this area from right across Government.

The Defending Democracy programme has been set up by the Government in order to protect and secure UK democratic processes, systems and institutions from interference including from cyber, personnel and physical threats; to strengthen the integrity of UK elections; to encourage respect for open, fair and safe democratic participation; and to promote fact-based and open discourse, including online.

On 5th May 2019 the Cabinet Office also announced a range of measures to better safeguard UK elections by cracking down on intimidation, malign influence, interference and disinformation. This included commitments to launch a consultation on electoral integrity and implement a digital imprints regime for online election material.

The Government has built relationships with social media companies and will continue to have regular and robust dialogue with them on how to limit the spread of disinformation and other kinds of propaganda designed to serve political interests. Social media platforms have taken action to protect the integrity and security of the elections. They are providing online safety and security guidance to parties and candidates and are improving transparency of political advertising on their platforms and processes for removal of fake accounts. While we welcome these measures, there is clearly much more to be done to tackle these issues and other online harms.

The Government recognises the potential challenges artificial intelligence and digitally manipulated content, including “deepfakes”, may pose. We are considering these issues carefully as part of cross-Whitehall efforts to tackle online manipulation.

The Cabinet Office is taking a cross-Government approach to the safeguarding of our electoral processes through the Defending Democracy programme, including in relation to online manipulation. The Government has announced a range of measures to safeguard UK elections, including commitments to launch a consultation on electoral integrity and implementing a digital imprints regime for online election material. More detail on both of these will be brought forward in the coming months.

The Online Harms White Paper set out the Government's plans for world-leading legislation to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online. We intend to establish a new statutory duty of care on companies towards their users, overseen by an independent regulator, to ensure companies have appropriate processes in place to deal with harmful content on their service, and keep their users safe. Disinformation is one of the harms proposed to be in scope of the regulator.

The Department is working with Public Health England (PHE), NHS England and NHS Improvement and other stakeholders to deliver a comprehensive vaccine and immunisation strategy this autumn. The strategy will set out a clear vision for maintaining and developing England’s world-leading immunisation programme over the next 10 years and beyond.

Actions planned or underway to increase the uptake of childhood vaccination include:

- Strengthening the role of local immunisation coordinators – healthcare professionals that promote vaccine uptake, particularly in under-served groups, by supporting areas with low uptake and tailoring specific local interventions to under-vaccinated communities;

- Updating NHS.uk to ensure availability of National Health Service-approved, evidence-based and trusted advice on vaccines; and

- A review of general practitioner vaccinations and immunisation standards, funding, and procurement to incentivise improved immunisation coverage.

I refer the Hon Member to my answer to PQ 294108 from 8th October.

Ministers and officials have regular meetings and discussions with Twitter on a range of issues, including the challenge of fake accounts. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the Gov.uk website.

The Government is very clear about the dangers that alcohol poses to the unborn child and reflects this in the advice it gives. The United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers’ low risk drinking guidelines published in 2016 provide clear advice to women not to drink alcohol if they are planning for a pregnancy or are pregnant. Information available on the NHS website also reflects this advice.

Additionally, the Government has been clear that the alcohol industry must reflect the UK Chief Medical Officers' alcohol guidelines on the labels of their products which includes a no drinking in pregnancy logo.

Public Health England, NHS England and local commissioners are already undertaking awareness and education on the dangers of drinking alcohol while pregnant. For example, the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership has recently launched its Drymester campaign to raise awareness of drinking alcohol when pregnant.

The Online Harms White Paper set out the Government's plans for world-leading legislation to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online. We intend to establish a new statutory duty of care on companies towards their users, overseen by an independent regulator, to ensure companies have appropriate processes in place to deal with harmful content on their service, and keep their users safe. Disinformation is one of the harms proposed to be in scope of the regulator.

The White Paper also set out a commitment for Government to develop a new online Media Literacy Strategy. The strategy will help citizens to think critically about the content that they are consuming, and to better identify disinformation online.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

My Lords, the Government take online manipulation and disinformation very seriously, particularly in relation to our democratic processes. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is leading work across government to tackle this. Working more broadly, we have set up a Defending Democracy programme in the Cabinet Office. This pulls together work and expertise from across government to strengthen the integrity of our electoral system and defend it from hostile activity, including disinformation.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made with ensuring adequate protection of (1) elections, and (2) referenda against corruption by (a) disinformation campaigns, and (b) digital technologies.