By silicon.com, 26 October 2005 17:35
Today saw the latest MP exercise their right to a Ten Minute Bill ruling in order to get an IT issue onto the parliamentary agenda.
In this case it was the issue of whether ISPs should block access to websites which display or promote the distribution of child pornography.
You'd think it was a 'no brainer' irrespective of some academic arguments opposed to censorship of the internet on principal. So why was it introduced in a bill reading which is often seen as indicative of the airing of an issue on the periphery of off-message agendas?
Earlier this year we saw long-time campaigner on IT issues, Derek Wyatt, use a Ten Minute Bill to press for an update of the Computer Misuse Act. On that occasion the General Election swallowed up what little momentum he had created.
After the election, Tom Harris MP, another member of the All Party Internet Group picked up the baton and resurrected that Ten Minute Bill.
These are both serious issues and ones we would expect to see on the government's own agenda, not given 10 minutes of stolen airtime.
Thankfully there are politicians able to identify that technology now underpins a great deal of society and business - and must therefore be regarded in the same way as critical 'infrastructure' such as transport, schools and healthcare.
Sadly, Ten Minute Bill readings often occupy the minds of senior politicians for less time than they take to read out, even if it gets them on the record.
In the case of today's reading, its owner, Margaret Moran MP, is confident this has legs. The CMA revision apparently less so. Hopefully some of those MPs listening today will realise that serious IT issues which impact the whole of society need more than 10 minutes.
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