Member

The noble Baroness, Lady Kidron, talked about the actions that the Government could take today to stop some of the harms that children experience online. I do not know why the Government’s announcement yesterday was not one that they were going to take some of those actions. Maybe we will get that next week—you live in hope when you are in opposition—but we need to take this step tonight. I appreciate that the Liberal Democrats argue that they have worked on their amendment. I know that my noble friend raised this at Second Reading, he brought these amendments in Committee, the House has had a chance to think about them, and my noble friend and other colleagues across the House have worked tirelessly on this. The evidence is absolutely clear of the need to act. There are parents behind me in the Chamber tonight—I can feel them behind me—but also all around the country who have watched their children suffer terrible pain and have suffered unimaginably themselves. There are parents who have spoken out, but there are also parents and children who carry their pain in suffering. This is the time to do the right thing and to support my noble friend’s amendment.