Dame Caroline Dinenage

Dame Caroline Dinenage

Conservative — Gosport

Speaking in the House of Commons on 16 January 2025

Debate

Business of the House

Contribution

Could the Leader of the House use her great influence to improve the tone and quality of ministerial responses in this place? On Monday, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology responded to the question I asked on behalf of the creative industries, which are very worried about the Government’s consultation on artificial intelligence and copyright, by telling me that I do not “understand the idea of a consultation.”—[Official Report, 13 January 2025; Vol. 760, c. 55.] I hate to admit it, but I am long enough in the tooth to say that I genuinely do understand what a consultation is and how to recognise one that does not appear to be genuine and that has a foregone conclusion. The point is that we need to be able to articulate questions on behalf of our constituents and on behalf of sectors that contribute so much to the UK economy, and receive a response that has dignity and respect at its heart. I am sure the Leader of the House agrees that this place should be no place for mansplaining.

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