Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 11:06 am on 4 December 2025.
Lord Clement-Jones
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Science, Innovation and Technology)
11:06,
4 December 2025
My Lords, the Minister says that the Government are standing right behind ofcom. Many of us very strongly support Ofcom’s actions in fining those such as the AVS Group for not observing proper age checks on their sites. But, as the noble Lord, Lord Carlile, indicates, there is no point in having fines unless we have proper enforcement. What resource are the Government satisfied Ofcom has to pursue enforcement?
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services.
Ofcom Web Site http://www.ofcom.org.uk
