Column: Barrow and Furness MP Simon Fell

THIS last week has been mainly focussed on defence. The Prime Minister and Defence Secretary set out the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, looking at these issues together for perhaps the first time.

I was glad to see wholehearted support for the submarine programme within. The report also addresses evolving cyber challenges by establishing a National Cyber Force.

This will build and deploy digital tools to counter new threats and it is great news too that it will be based in the North.

I chaired the Cyber Security All Party Parliamentary Group on Tuesday.

We examined the role and risks of Artificial Intelligence and will feed back to the Ministry of Defence.

As with all technology, while there are huge opportunities, there are risks too.

MEETING:With the Defence Secretary ahead of the launch of the Integrated Review

Also on Tuesday I spoke in a debate on the launch of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency. The Agency will fund high risk, high reward research in the UK. There are similar models overseas that deliver incredible, game changing achievements. We have demonstrated our home-grown skill with the British vaccines now saving lives across the world from COVID. This new Agency will enable us to build on such skills to make the UK a world leader in science and technology.

I spoke too in a debate on how to improve education post-pandemic, specifically on two matters close to my heart.

First, outdoor education. Lockdowns have led many to struggle with reduced human interaction, missing the opportunity to learn teamwork, leadership, and how to read verbal and nonverbal cues. Outdoor education can help immeasurably.

Second, we need to build political literacy and technical education into syllabuses. Misinformation and poor media literacy pose serious threats to society, so we need to ensure that young people have the skills they need to be able to tell the difference.

At the Home Affairs Committee on Wednesday, we took evidence on the policing of the Sarah Everard vigils, trying to parse the truth from two sides of the story.

Later, I asked a question in Parliament about what the Government is doing, following her tragic death, to share good practice and fund improvements to help keep women safe as they walk home at night. This is especially relevant after so many constituents wrote to me about it.

In another debate on Thursday, I spoke about the growth of online abuse and anonymity.

Anonymity often enables poor behaviour. This relates not just to social media, but also to fake news, conspiracy theories, hate speech, and anti-vaccine propaganda which, ultimately, can lead to people dying.

I’ve asked social media companies, and the government, to work together to find a better way.