Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

The government has not funded any field-based Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI).

The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) is an independent research body, and they are conducting cautious, controlled research aimed at improving understanding of the risks and impacts of Solar Radiation Modification (SRM). This will produce important information for decisions around the world.

ARIA’s programme includes laboratory-based research and some small-scale field trials to explore the fundamental science around SRM. This does not involve releasing materials into the stratosphere. All field trials will be subject to an environmental impact and legal assessment, which will be made publicly available before any outdoor experiment takes place. They will be limited in size, scale, and time-bound, so the effects dissipate within 24 hours or are fully reversible. ARIA are not funding experiments that release toxic materials to the environment.

The Department has not conducted a Disability Impact Assessment. The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) migration is an industry-led programme and does not result from a government decision.

The Government is committed to ensuring that any risks arising from the industry-led migration of the PSTN to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for all customers across the UK. In November 2024, at Government’s behest, all major communication providers agreed additional safeguards to protect vulnerable customers, including for people living with disabilities.

Sharing or threatening to share a deepfake intimate image without consent is illegal. Synthetically created content is regulated by the Online Safety Act where it is shared on an in-scope service and is illegal content or content harmful to children. Government is also legislating to ban the non-consensual creation of sexualised deepfakes in the Data (Use and Access) Bill.

Where a sexualised deepfake is of a child this is child sexual abuse material and is illegal, and Government has introduced an offence in the Crime and Policing Bill to criminalise AI models optimised to create this content.

At any point in time, there is likely to be a small number of individuals who have been displaced due to restructures within their business units or, for example, have returned from a loan from another department and their role no longer exists. The exact number changes on a day-to-day basis.

Government Gateway is a separate, existing authentication and identity service for cross-government digital services and is managed by HMRC. There are no plans to integrate Government Gateway with GOV.UK One Login, but in time services that use Government Gateway will move over to using GOV.UK One Login instead.

GOV.UK One Login is the government’s sign-in and identity verification solution, enabling users to create an account, log in, and prove their identity to access government services. Our plan is to onboard all central government services during this Parliament, including those currently accessed through Government Gateway.

The Information Commissioner’s Office’s (ICO) guidance on this matter states that pay and consent models can be implemented in accordance with the data protection legislation, so long as websites ensure that consent to targeted advertising is fully informed and freely given. The guidance sets out a framework of factors that are important to consider when assessing whether a “consent or pay” model meets the required standard of consent.

The Government will continue to engage with businesses, the ICO and other stakeholders to monitor operation of these models.

The government is protecting record levels R&D investment, allocating £20.4bn across departments in 2025/26. DSIT’s overall R&D budget will be £13.9bn in 2025/26, including £8.8bn for UKRI to support talent, infrastructure, and innovation. This funding ensures the continuation of research in higher education and supports key priorities such as building R&I talent, fostering student startups, and maintaining Quality-Related (QR) funding, which was around £2bn in 2024/25.

According to the independent website Thinkbroadband.com, over 98% of homes and businesses in the Newton Abbot constituency can access superfast broadband speeds (>=30 Mbps) and over 83% have access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection (>1000 Mbps).

To improve coverage further, Openreach is delivering a Project Gigabit contract across parts of Devon and Somerset. Approximately 1,500 premises in the Newton Abbot constituency are currently in scope of this contract, the majority of which are in rural areas. The contract is targeted at bringing gigabit-capable broadband to homes and businesses that are unlikely to be otherwise reached by suppliers’ commercial rollout.

The cyber security of the UK is a priority for the government. This year we will introduce the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to improve UK cyber defences and better secure our essential services and the IT infrastructure they rely upon. The government offers free guidance, tools and training to help businesses and organisations improve their cyber resilience. This includes a new Cyber Governance Code of Practice to help boards and directors manage digital risks, and the Cyber Essentials scheme which is highly effective in protecting businesses against cyber attacks. The PSTI Act, along with codes of practice on AI, software and apps, are helping protect organisations at scale by making technology secure by design. Later this year, the government will publish a new National Cyber Strategy setting out how we will approach the challenges and opportunities of cyber security.

The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing” and the Government is drafting a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods.

The Government has been consulting industry, academia and civil society as this process unfolds. Minister Vallance hosted a roundtable on 05.09.24 with industry representatives and officials have kept in regular contact with industry since then.

The State of Digital Government review, A blueprint for modern digital government and the Performance Review of Digital Spend, all published this year, have highlighted the need to reform digital purchasing.

The Government has launched a Digital Commercial Centre of Excellence, containing experts from the Digital and Commercial Functions, within the Government Digital Service (GDS) in my department. It is pursuing multiple strategies to improve value for money and outcomes including central buying of commodity services, development of a digital sourcing strategy, creation of technical enablers and joined-up management of strategic digital suppliers.

Building Digital UK (BDUK) is working with Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) and Airband to identify premises which will no longer be connected via its Superfast contracts. Premises that have been descoped from the Airband contracts and are not in any suppliers’ commercial plans will be eligible for support through Project Gigabit.

Officials will continue to work closely with suppliers, residents and local stakeholders across west Somerset and Devon to improve broadband connectivity across the region.

The State of Digital Government review, A blueprint for modern digital government and the Performance Review of Digital Spend, all published this year, have highlighted the need to reform digital purchasing.

The Government has launched a Digital Commercial Centre of Excellence, containing experts from the Digital and Commercial Functions, within the Government Digital Service (GDS) in my department. It is pursuing multiple strategies to improve value for money and outcomes including central buying of commodity services, development of a digital sourcing strategy, creation of technical enablers and joined-up management of strategic digital suppliers.

The Government is committed to protecting IP rights for our businesses and protecting unsuspecting consumers from those who seek to profit from all forms of intellectual property infringement. Trading Standards are primarily responsible for enforcing Intellectual Property Rights and are working with platforms of all sizes to remove counterfeits from their online stores.
The Intellectual Property Office also regularly meets many of the major social media and e-commerce trading platforms in the UK and overseas to help ensure they have policies in place to remove goods identified as counterfeit, advertisements of counterfeit goods, and persistent sellers of counterfeit goods.

The Government Chief Digital Officer (GCDO) leads the Government Digital Service (GDS), within DSIT. GDS is the digital centre of government. The current GCDO is in post on an interim basis. We will be appointing a permanent GCDO through an open competition to ensure transparency and attract diverse talent.

AI offers the most powerful lever we have for national renewal; it underpins the Government’s plan to drive economic growth, transform public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.

The Government has welcomed the Action Plan and accepted all 50 recommendations to deliver these benefits.

Progress has been made across a range of actions, including holding the first AI Energy Council meeting, signing an MOU with Anthropic, and opening the formal AI Growth Zone application process. We will continue to work on all recommendations, such as bringing the AI Research Resource online; this includes the Isambard-AI and Dawn supercomputers and is expected to increase the UK's AI compute capacity by 20 times.

The vast majority of AI systems should be regulated at point of use and our expert regulators are best placed to do this. In response to the AI Action Plan, the Government committed to identifying capability needs for regulators to mitigate AI risks and drive growth.

The most advanced AI systems pose distinct opportunities and risks, and the Government is therefore developing legislative proposals to allow us to safely and securely realise the benefits of these systems. We are refining our proposals and will launch a public consultation in due course.

AI assurance is crucial to ensuring that AI systems are developed and deployed responsibly and safely. That is why we have designated AI assurance as a key pillar of support for meeting the commitments made in government’s response to the AI Opportunities Action Plan.

To help organisations address the potential risks associated with the use of AI in CV screening, DSIT published its ‘Responsible AI in Recruitment’ guidance in 2024, setting out good practice for the procurement and deployment of AI systems for HR and recruitment. DSIT also ran the Fairness Innovation Challenge, funding the development of novel solutions to address bias in AI systems. One of the winning projects focused on detecting and reducing bias in CV screening algorithms.

All users within the department must adhere to our IT Acceptable Use Policy which details how departmental IT should be used. Departmental provided internet access, corporate IT and email services are intended for business use. Limited personal use is permitted where this is not detrimental to the department. All staff and ministers are accountable for their actions while using departmental IT.

All Departments must adhere to the UK Data Protection legislation to protect personal data held by their departments. All departments are controllers of the personal data they hold and are individually responsible for demonstrating compliance with the data protection principles, and take appropriate technical and organisational measures in line with the UK GDPR. Under the same legislation, all departments are required to appoint a data protection officer (DPO), who must be an adequately resourced expert in data protection to monitor internal compliance, inform and advise on the department’s data protection obligations, provide advice regarding Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) and act as a contact point for data subjects and the Information Commissioner’s Office.

The DPO must be independent and report to the highest management level.

To reinforce cross government data sharing for consistent application of safeguards, the Government Digital Service runs the Data Sharing Network of Experts to bring together data protection and data governance professionals. There is also a cross government Data Protection Officers Network.

The Government has not yet had discussions with local authorities or residents on the location of any 6G infrastructure to date. 6G technology will not be deployed in the UK or elsewhere until the 2030s based on current industry development and standardisation cycles.

Currently, ground-based radio masts up to 30 metres in non-protected areas, and up to 25 metres in protected areas benefit from permitted development rights. Prior approval from the local planning authority is needed on certain matters, including siting and appearance of any masts up to this height.

The Government is committed to ensuring the security and resilience of the UK's telecommunications infrastructure. The Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 introduced a robust security framework throughout the United Kingdom and requires public telecoms providers to identify, reduce, and prepare for security and resilience risks, including from cyber threats and foreign interference.

The development of 6G technology is still in its early stages, but Government is actively working with industry to ensure that cybersecurity and resilience requirements are addressed from the outset. Government is directly participating in the development of technical standards for 6G, working with industry to understand emerging security and resilience challenges, and actively supporting innovative solutions to cybersecurity challenges through our R&D programmes on advanced connectivity.

The Government has not yet made any formal decision on what environmental impact assessments may be needed prior to the installation of 6G infrastructure. 6G technology will not be deployed until the 2030s based on current development and standardisation cycles. Were a specialised impact assessment needed for 6G infrastructure specifically, it would need to reflect the known characteristics, architectures and design aspects of 6G technologies, which will not be known until the industry-led standardisation process is complete.

The Government has no plans to alter the copyright framework in relation to archiving at the present time. However, the Government keeps the UK copyright framework under constant review. This includes the archiving and preservation exception to copyright outlined in section 42 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

The Government welcomes continued developments from the public library sector on e-licensing and e-book lending. Arts Council England funded Libraries Connected to deliver a pilot project to explore mutual benefits of increasing the affordability and availability of eBooks in public libraries. A project summary report was published in February 2025.

The affordability of gigabit-capable broadband depends on access to fibre, the costs of connection and the price of suitable devices. The government works closely with industry and Ofcom, the independent regulator of telecommunications, to ensure the highly competitive market works in the interests of consumers. The government continues to subsidise the rollout of gigabit-capable broadband. In addition, the government published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan in February 2025, which sets out the first steps we are taking towards our ambition of delivering digital inclusion for everyone across the UK.

The Government published its Digital Inclusion Action Plan in February 2025, which outlines the first five actions we are taking over the next year to boost digital inclusion in every corner of the UK, including North East Somerset & Hanham.

These will be targeted at local initiatives for boosting digital skills and confidence, widening access to devices and connectivity, and getting support to people in their own communities so everyone can reap the benefits of technology.

We are committed to ensuring government online and digital services are accessible as possible alongside exploring how to extend the scope of the standards further.

The Government published its Digital Inclusion Action Plan in February 2025, which outlines the first five actions we are taking over the next year to boost digital inclusion in every corner of the UK, including North East Somerset & Hanham.

These will be targeted at local initiatives for boosting digital skills and confidence, widening access to devices and connectivity, and getting support to people in their own communities so everyone can reap the benefits of technology.

We are committed to ensuring government online and digital services are accessible as possible alongside exploring how to extend the scope of the standards further.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is responsible for technology policy around the development, validation and uptake of alternative testing methods, led by Lord Vallance. The Home Office is responsible for regulation of the use of animals in research under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 which is the legislation that protects animals used for scientific purposes, led by Lord Hanson. Defra is responsible for enacting and enforcing the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which outlines the basic duty of care for animals, led by Baroness Hayman. Defra also develops and implements specific animal welfare regulations, such as animal transport.

My officials recently met Mobile UK to discuss a range of issues affecting the mobile industry currently, in their role as the trade association for the UK’s mobile network operators. This included Ofcom’s coverage reporting, and what we can do to work together to address areas of limited or no coverage.

Across Tewkesbury, outdoor 4G coverage from all four operators has increased to 95% up from 87%, since the Shared Rural Network programme begun in March 2020. These improvements were delivered via the industry-led element of the SRN which has now completed. There will not be any further coverage improvements in Tewkesbury from the programme.

The Government does not routinely track individual plans for data centre developments. Water companies have no obligation to approve water for non-domestic uses, such as for data centres. Data centres may therefore be refused or restricted a supply connection if there are not sufficient water resources available. We encourage data centre developers to consider use of non-potable water, to embed water efficiency or water reuse in their design, and contact their proposed water and wastewater supplier early in the planning process to understand and plan for any potential water restrictions.

The Government does not undertake formal assessments of the delivery methods employed by broadband operators. Where and how operators deploy their networks is a commercial matter.

Existing regulations require operators to use underground lines where reasonably practicable, with certain exceptions.

In its Connected Nations 2024 report, Ofcom states that “providers have ordered around 176,000 km of duct routes (101,000 km of which has been delivered) and approximately 1.2 million attachments to poles (750,000 of which have been delivered) to deploy networks.”

In North Northumberland, there are four government funded Home Office masts that are due to be upgraded as part of the Shared Rural Network. The first of these upgrades at Herdlaw Farm should be activated in July and we will write to you with the details once the mast is delivering new coverage. The remaining masts in Mindrum, Bell Hill and The Ladyship Field will be activated no later than by the end of next year in line with the overall programme’s delivery timescales.

The Government is committed to ensuring the security and resilience of the UK’s telecommunications infrastructure. The Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 introduced a robust security framework requiring public telecoms providers to identify, reduce and prepare for security and resilience risks. We have also included data centres as parts of Critical National Infrastructure.

DSIT is responsible for developing policies to help ensure the security of the UK’s public telecoms networks and services. DSIT works with the National Cyber Security Centre as the technical authority providing advice on cyber-security threats and vulnerabilities, the National Protective Security Authority as the technical authority for physical and personnel security, and Ofcom as regulator for the framework.

The Government does not comment on the security of specific sites; however, we work with our agencies to respond to specific security incidents or vulnerabilities identified.

GOV.UK One Login was subject to GovAssure, the cyber security scheme run by the Cabinet Office’s Government Security Group (GSG), in Q4 2024. As part of this, we successfully completed a review of our assurance measures against the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSCs) Cyber Assessment Framework. This work is ongoing, with continued collaboration with NCSC on future mitigations. This process has multiple phases, which includes an assurance review by an independent assessor.

Copies of the final assessment will not be disclosed or placed in the Library of the House, as they are part of ongoing security measures and internal governance processes.

It is for the independent regulator, Ofcom, to investigate any complaints about telegraph poles sited in a way which is not consistent with the requirements and guidelines in place. Local Planning Authorities are best placed to refer any complaints to Ofcom.

I am aware of public concerns about the deployment of new broadband infrastructure. I have met both with individual operators and industry trade bodies to voice my concerns. In response, the industry has recently published the Telecommunications Poles Working Group Best Practice Recommendations, which are available on the Internet Services Providers’ Association website.

The rollout of broadband infrastructure in national parks is led by commercial suppliers, in discussion with the relevant National Park Authority.

Reforms to the Electronic Communications Code in 2017, alongside the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022, have created a framework which encourages network deployment.

We will continue to work with the industry to improve 4G coverage in areas of natural beauty and national parks via the Shared Rural Network (SRN). On 28 May we announced that over 50 existing mobile masts had been upgraded for the SRN, with over half of them providing new coverage to areas of outstanding natural beauty or national parks.

Alongside the SRN, our ambition is for all populated areas to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. We are committed to having the right policy and regulatory framework to support this and we continue to work with industry to deliver this.

Project Gigabit is the government’s programme to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to homes and businesses that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans. This includes farms and other types of premises in rural communities.

We will also continue to work with mobile network operators to deliver the Shared Rural Network to boost 4G mobile coverage to rural communities, including farms, enabling them to thrive.

Our ambition is for all populated areas, including rural communities, to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. We are committed to having the right policy and regulatory framework to support this. We continue to work with industry to deliver this.

We have added measures to the Data (Use and Access) Bill to strengthen data protection standards for children. Any changes to the age of digital consent would require public consultation.

We continue to consider further options for protecting children online and commissioned a feasibility study to further explore the impact of smartphones and social media use on children’s wellbeing to help inform our next steps. We do not have a timetable for completing this work.

UK Research and Innovation’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has a range of vessels, aircraft, and autonomous underwater and aerial vehicles which capture data to help better understand the potential climate impact of Arctic warming. There are a number of research initiatives across the region contributing information into datasets and models to improve predictions. This includes CANARI, a £12 million collaborative research programme to improve knowledge about how climate variability and change in the Arctic-North Atlantic region will impact the UK, with a focus on extreme weather and rapid, disruptive change.

Through the Met Office, DSIT supported the Polar Amplification Model Intercomparison Project, within the Hadley Centre Climate Programme, which investigated factors driving polar amplification and how the global climate system responds to changes in Arctic and Antarctic sea ice.

No, although we remain committed to ensuring that space activities are effectively coordinated across all relevant departments, we are committed to establishing a new space policy governance structure to deliver such benefits, and Ministers from across government met on the 22 April to discuss our shared cross-government approach.

As an Associated Country to Horizon Europe, the UK actively contributes to the programme’s governance and development, including through participation in programme committees. This enables the UK to shape the direction of international research and maximise collaboration on areas of mutual interest in Horizon Europe, including within Cluster 5 of the programme which focuses on Climate, Energy and Mobility.

The Government cannot comment on the 2026-2027 Horizon Europe Work Programme, as it is still in development by the European Commission.

The Chancellor, Business Secretary and I asked the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and National Technology Adviser to carry out a Review of the barriers to the adoption of transformative digital technologies. The Review has almost concluded, and the findings and recommendations are feeding into the Government’s Industrial Strategy White Paper and sector plans. The Industrial Strategy will take a holistic view across innovation, skills, regulation, finance and other policy enablers and barriers to improving the diffusion of technology and hence business productivity.

UKRI makes consolidated data returns to the Public Sector Fraud Authority covering identified, recovered and prevented fraud. The data requested is in the table below.

For individual cases, investigation, recovery, and prevention activities can extend over multiple financial years. Therefore, care should be taken when comparing data points across the table below. The data provided for the last financial year (2024/25) is provisional, and final figures will be published in UKRI’s 2024/25 Annual Report and Accounts.

The government is committed to working with Ofcom to ensure the Online Safety Act is implemented quickly and effectively.

This year we expect users, in particular children, to see notable change in their online experience as the duties come into force. Ofcom is now enforcing the illegal safety duties, and protections for children will follow next month.

The government has high expectations for platforms, and nothing is off the table when it comes to keeping children and the public safe. The government has already built on the Act and will continue to do so where required.