Alistair Strathern, MP for Hitchin, has written to the Chief Executive of Ofcom ahead of the long-awaited publication of the Children's Safety Duties Code of Practice, due today (24 April).

In his letter, Strathern urges Ofcom to waste no time in kick starting a second, more ambitious, iteration of the code in light of expectations from MPs and civil society that the first iteration will fall short of the full ambitions set out in the Online Safety Act.

Strathern warns that the fast-evolving nature of online risks could mean the Children's Code quickly becomes even further outdated unless there is a clear commitment to continual improvement and meeting the original ambition of the Act in full. In his letter to Dame Melanie Dawes, he urges Ofcom to begin work on the next iteration of the Code immediately following its publication, with the goal of delivering an updated version within 12 months.

"You will find willing allies in myself and many colleagues in Parliament," Strathern wrote, "committed to supporting Ofcom to act with both pace and ambition. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how we can best support these efforts going forward."

Commenting, Alistair Strathern MP said: "The Online Safety Act was passed with the intention of delivering robust protections for children online, across a wide range of risks. While the publication of the Children's code tomorrow will mark a significant step forward, it seems inevitable it will fall far short of the ambitions set out in the Act.

"Nothing is more important than the wellbeing of our children and we owe it to young people and their families to get this right. 

"It will require an ongoing and concerted effort between Parliament, Ofcom and civil society, but it's our collective responsibility to work together to close the gap between what the law promises and what the Code delivers. Nothing less will do"