Speeches by Phillips.

“For lots of us, the frustration that you will hear from us is partially as well because we want this to happen quickly and well, and for the regime to be very bold. To give Alex some credit, she spent years of her life fighting for stuff to go into the Online Safety Bill. It took a long time to get to where we got to, …”

“You could make some strong recommendations.”

“Alex and I fantasise about what we might spend some of that £18 million on.”

“Specifically on hashing, from our perspective there is absolutely no reason why the same hashing could not be used—I am the Minister who leads also for child sexual abuse imagery, where it is clear the use of it is far more widespread, and a part of Ofcom’s requirements. I see no good reason why the same technology cou…”

“Yes. The Home Secretary has announced a regime of improvements to police standards. We are expecting massive improvements in police culture and attitudes towards victims of these offences, specifically to eradicate victim blaming. Last month it was announced that measures such as—for the first time—proper vetting will …”

“That is the million-dollar question. I wish I could say it will happen overnight.”

“Clearly not, as the Committee has taken evidence that that has happened. Specific guidance has been created—I think in May 2024—about what is meant to happen in these cases, but guidance is only as good as the people who know it exists. I believe that the College of Policing has created an e-learning package specifical…”

“Absolutely.”

“I wish I could say I was surprised by this particular statistic. I am afraid to say you would find similar read-outs across the entire violence against women and girls space. I would say it is probably more acute in this particular area, for the sole reason of the newness of the internet—although it has been around for…”

“Jess.”

“On any guidance that Ofcom produces about violence against women and girls, the statute states that they have to speak to both the Victims’ Commissioner and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, but making those commissioners ensure that they have teeth over any process that they are part of is constantly an issue on our ag…”

“Yes, a specific one. Again, we have to go back to suck it and see—you are right. The trouble with all violence against women and girls crimes is volume. When actually trying to tackle really serious, high-volume crimes, even if I said let’s have a person for that, is one enough? We have to see how the regime that has b…”

“I suppose it is for us to then factor that in.”

“When it comes to exactly what it needs to be for deepfake and NCII, the Government does not write the police training. It is usually written in concert with experts and in fact, I think they are working with some of the experts that you have had in front of you today. The College of Policing works with people, such as …”

“The announcements about funding, including police funding settlements, will be coming out in due course. The regime in the past with regard to police funding for specific training—I go back to the example of domestic abuse—is that the Home Office has funded forces where they have not done it. I have to say, I think tha…”

“I have the exact data on this, which I will just find for you.”

“I have a specific thing specifically on what we are doing abroad, in answer to your question. But carry on, as you were.”

“Yes, it was on the news heavily this week. It is funny because, I have to say, for somebody who has spent a lot of my life and career working in and around this space, this particular new threat that is really specifically targeting boys and young men is absolutely harrowing. Most of it is happening under the auspices …”

“The challenges are as they are for all types of this issue. It is the same with CSAM and human trafficking. We will not do it unless we do it globally—it has to be done in concert with other countries around the world. Most of the CSAM material, for example, and online terrorism, which comes under most of this data, is…”

“It would entirely depend on the age of the person, because of the CSAM legislation. In lots of the cases, the revenge porn helpline is seemingly the best repository for data on exactly what this is looking like. I think 34% of their caseload is now sextortion. They were the ones who first alerted me to it. Where people…”