UK Parliament Watch

Labour's culture spokesman, Gloria De Piero has written to Culture Minister Ed Vaizey to re-open an old whinge about music and sport videos being exempt from the Video Recordings Act.

She wrote:

I have seen some of this content, which includes cage fighting, dangerous combat techniques, topless lap-dancing, illegal drug abuse, and racism. It is clearly unsuitable.

Yet because the video is of a type that which enjoys exemption from statutory classification and because the content falls short of the extreme content which causes the video to lose that exemption, it may be supplied to children. The Government needs to act.

Mr Vaizey expects to make an announcement on the issue soon, she said.

Responsible parts of the video industry do send problematic exempt material to the BBFC for classification but others do not. A BBFC spokesman said:

When the Act was passed in 1984, legislators could not have anticipated some of the material which is legally claiming exemption today.

This means that children can legally obtain this potentially harmful material with no restriction on its supply.

The BBFC believes, along with politicians and parents, that the more extreme music and sport DVDs and some documentaries, should lose their exempt status and be give appropriate age restrictions to protect children.'

Comment: 18 rated sport

1st April 2011. From goatboy

There are UFC DVDs available unrated in the UK that almost certainly would have been BBFC 18 had they been submitted.

Heck UFC 107 - Penn vs. Sanchez is unrated and the main event in that one is a total bloodbath.

However UFC bouts have rules decided on by the various US state athletic commissions, and is most certainly a sport.

In addition I doubt they have many fans under 18, I'd guess them going out unrated is just to save the BBFCs fees rather than attracting a young audience.

Tory backbencher Dr Sarah Wollaston will put forward a private member's bill to restrict children from alcohol marketing.

Wollaston believes that a repressive French law known as Loi Evin could be adapted for the UK. She will put forward the proposal as a 10-minute rule bill.  This allows her to make a speech in Parliament, although the process rarely leads to legislation being passed but is instead a chance to raise awareness about an issue.

The British Medical Association and university 'experts' said the move would go a long way to protect children.

The French legislation was introduced in 1991 and totally bans alcohol promotion through mediums such as television and social media.

Professor Gerard Hastings, a social marketing expert at Stirling University, told the British Medical Journal the law had helped to reduce alcohol consumption in France. Removing this profoundly unhealthy influence is, unsurprisingly, recognised as a key public health priority. So along with their cafe culture, the Loi Evin is a French innovation that the UK needs.

David Poley, chief executive of the Portman Group, which represents the drinks industry, said: The UK already has some of the strictest rules in place to prevent alcohol being marketed to children or in a way that might appeal to them. The call for a French-style advertising ban is entirely unfounded.

The mean minded Scottish MP, Trish Godman, has published a private members bill to criminalise buying sex. She also published a 'consultation' paper with leading questions on how much people agreed with her views.

She has now published a summary of responses:

1. The intention of the proposed Bill is to criminalise the purchasers of sex and related selling activities. The consultation document accompanying the draft proposal for the Criminalisation of the Purchase and Sale of Sex (Scotland) Bill was issued on 24 November 2010 and was open for comment until 18 February 2011. A number of late submissions were received after the closing date; these were accepted and have been included in the analysis.
    
2. The consultation document was made available from a link on the Proposals for Members Bills webpage on the Scottish Parliament Website: The Scottish Parliament: - Bills - Proposals for Members' Bills at www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/bills/membersBills.htm . It was also issued to 146 organisations and individuals with an interest in the issue. Recipients were encouraged to bring the consultation to the attention of anyone else they thought might have an interest in the subject matter.
    
3. In total 122 responses were received; these were made up of the following groups:

38 individuals
20 anti-violence against women organisations
9 academics
9 equality/human rights organisations
9 health boards
8 local authorities (including the Association of Directors of Social Work)
8 support groups
6 women's business organisations
5 pro-prostitution organisations
4 criminal justice organisations
3 religious organisations
1 child protection group
1 legislator
1 trade union organisation

78 (64%) Responses supported the proposed Bill either in whole or in part.
39 (32%) Against the Bill
5 (4%) Neutral

Consultation Conclusions

The responses to consultation have provided a number of ideas that the member will consider and use to further develop the policy before completing the drafting of the bill.

5851 people have given their backing to the End Prostitution Now Campaign run by Glasgow Community & Safety Services and to a Member's Bill tabled by Labour MSP Trish Godman.

Both are calling for changes in the law to criminalise the buying of sex n flats, saunas and other premises.

Councillor Jim Coleman, Chair of Glasgow Community & Safety Services, presented the petition to Godman.

The proposed changes seek to introduce legislation to make it a criminal offence to purchase sex. It would also make it illegal to facilitate the sale of sexual services for example, by advertising in newspapers, on the internet or by allowing premises to be used for such purposes.

Godman said:

It is my firmly held belief that male demand fuels prostitution in Scotland and only by criminalising that demand can we call time on this harmful activity. The number of signatories on the End Prostitution Now petition shows clearly that this is a widely held view.

The response to the petition reinforces the favourable feedback I have already received while consulting on my Member's Bill. The consultation has now closed and this show of support is vital in progressing my proposals to the next stage.

Government statement to the House in response to allowing appeals for sex offender registration:

I can tell the House today that the Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary will shortly announce the establishment of a Commission to investigate the creation of a British Bill of Rights.

It is time to assert that it is Parliament that makes our laws, not the courts; that the rights of the public come before the rights of criminals; and above all, that we have a legal framework that brings sanity to cases such as these.