Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

On 2 March, the government published the ‘Growing up in the Online World’ consultation, accompanied by a National Conversation. The consultation received over 116,000 responses, including 14,000 from children. As part of the National Conversation, Ministers and officials also met children and young people, as well as organisations which represent children, to make sure children and young people’s voices were heard.

On 15 June, the government announced a package of measures to support young people to connect and thrive offline. The government is continuing to strengthen wider support for children, including access to youth services and enrichment activities in schools and beyond the classroom, backed by funding through the national youth strategy. Our approach will reduce serious harms while preserving safe, positive online spaces to help address social isolation and improve access to learning resources.

Section 100 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026, which introduces a new requirement relating to the removal of reported non-consensual intimate images, commenced on 29 June 2026. The Online Safety Act 2023 provides for Ofcom to prepare and issue codes of practice setting out recommended measures for compliance with relevant duties.

The duty will apply to platforms once the relevant codes have completed the statutory process and come into force. The Government is clear this should happen as soon as possible and is working closely with Ofcom on implementation.

The Government recognises that AI is transforming workplaces, demanding new skills and augmenting existing roles. We have launched the AI and the Future of Work Unit - a cross-government function dedicated to ensuring AI delivers positive outcomes for the economy, jobs, and workers.

The Unit published an initial assessment of AI impacts on the labour markets in January 2026. This highlighted IMF estimates that around 70% of UK workers are in occupations containing tasks that AI could potentially perform or enhance – a higher share than the US and other advanced economies (around 60%), reflecting the UK's service-sector-intensive economy. Around half of these exposed workers are in 'high complementarity' roles, where AI may be more likely to boost efficiency and productivity, while the other half are in 'low complementarity' roles where AI may be more likely to perform tasks currently delivered by human labour.

To date, however, there is little conclusive evidence demonstrating a causal link between AI impacts and a reduction in employment levels. Several analyses find that job postings have declined more sharply in occupations with higher AI exposure, but establishing whether AI is causing these patterns remains challenging.

To further increase government's capability to assess these impacts and inform relevant policy, we are establishing a new AI Economics Institute, incorporating the Future of Work Unit, but with a broader focus on the economics of AI. A key consideration will be whether AI gains are broadly shared across regions, income groups, sectors and generations and that the opportunities are accessible, regardless of background, gender or geography.

This Government is committed to delivering the infrastructure needed to support AI-driven growth across the UK. AI Growth Zones, designed to deliver large amounts of AI data centre capacity by 2030, are central to this effort.

We have moved the programme from concept to delivery, with five AI Growth Zones now announced across England, Wales, and Scotland. We are delivering sites capable of supporting the next generation of AI infrastructure in the UK and the programme is set to deliver over 15,000 jobs and £28.2 billion in investment.

Site developers are responsible for delivering the built infrastructure and government is delivering the policy reforms needed to unblock and accelerate delivery. This includes action on power, planning, grid access, and local benefits, with up to £5 million available to support skills and AI adoption in each AI Growth Zone.

The UK Government takes an actor-agnostic approach to supply chain resilience, focusing on the characteristics and behaviours of technologies and suppliers rather than their country of origin. This ensures that our regulatory frameworks remain objective, proportionate, and resilient to evolving threats.

Ministers receive technical advice from National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on a wide range of cyber threats, including on IoT products. Their assessment is that a compromised cellular internet of things module would not, by itself, enable an end-to-end attack. From a cyber security perspective, risk is managed through the broader set of controls supporting monitoring, resilience and recovery across the system. Advice on managing the security of cellular internet of things modules technology is provided to industry and government by the NCSC.

Ofcom is reviewing the Code of Practice on Services, Public Functions and Associations guidance in detail following the commencement order which was made in parliament on 14 July 2025, in order to make the right decisions for Ofcom and its employees. Ofcom continues to take expert external legal advice on this.

Consumer connected devices fall within scope of the Product Security and Telecommunications Act 2022 and must comply with the requirements of that Act and its underlying Regulations. This includes consumer devices that use cellular internet of things modules and the use of internet-connected vaping devices.

Consumer connected devices, by their nature as consumer goods, would not typically pose a national security threat. Our assessment is that a compromised cellular internet of things module would not, by itself, enable an end-to-end attack. From a cyber security perspective, risk is managed through the broader set of controls supporting monitoring, resilience and recovery across the system. Advice on managing the security of cellular internet of things modules technology is provided to industry and government by the National Cyber Security Centre.

The Government’s ambition is simple: everyone, whatever their circumstances, should be able to get connected and get online, safely and with confidence

In 2025, 20% of those aged 75+ do not have home internet access compared to 5% across all age groups. Those aged 75+ are also less likely to have the foundational level of digital skills (54%) compared to the general population (85%). This has however improved by 23 percentage points since 2022, when only 31% of those aged 75+ had foundational level digital skills.

In the year since the Digital Inclusion Action Plan was published in 2025, over a million people have been connected or supported to get online, more than 22,000 people have received a free device, and communities across the UK have benefited from the £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund. This includes Age UK’s Digital Champion Programme providing digital skills and devices across England.

The increase in horse procedures between 2015 and 2025 should be viewed in context: while procedures rose by 45%, the number of horses used for the first time fell from 581 to 100. In 2025, around 69% of horse procedures were routine blood sampling for regulatory purposes and were assessed as mild severity. The Government is supporting the development, validation and regulatory uptake of alternative methods, including human-specific technologies, through the Replacing Animals in Science strategy, and requires animals to be used only where no validated alternative exists.

The AI and cyber-security sectors make up core parts of the UK’s growing technology sector as set out in the Modern Industrial Strategy digital and technologies sector plan. The UK AI sector alone contributed £11.8 billion in Gross Value Added to the UK economy in 2024, supporting more than 86,000 jobs. We have seen large recent investments in the UK from leading firms, including AMD's £2 billion commitment. In total, over £90 billion of capital investment has been pledged to be spent in the UK's AI sector since this Government came to power.

The Government’s Cyber Security Sectoral Analysis 2026 shows the UK cyber security sector is worth £14.7 billion and contributed £9.1 billion in GVA to the UK economy in 2025. The analysis found that UK dedicated cyber security firms raised £184 million of investment across 47 deals in 2025. Notable fundraisings in 2025 include Inforcer, which raised £26 million; Maze with £18.4 million and Optalysys with £23 million.

The Government recognises that AI is transforming workplaces, demanding new skills and augmenting existing roles. We have launched the AI and the Future of Work Unit — a cross-government function dedicated to ensuring AI delivers positive outcomes for the economy, jobs, and workers.

The Unit published an initial assessment of AI impacts on the labour markets in January 2026. This highlighted IMF estimates that around 70% of UK workers are in occupations containing tasks that AI could potentially perform or enhance. Around half of these exposed workers are in 'high complementarity' roles, where AI may be more likely to boost efficiency and productivity, while the other half are in 'low complementarity' roles where AI may be more likely to perform tasks currently delivered by human labour.

To further increase the Government's capability to assess these impacts — including the sectoral effects of AI — we have announced a new AI Economics Institute, which will absorb the Future of Work Unit and broaden and deepen our research and analytical capability on AI's economic impacts and policy implications. Leading AI labs have agreed to collaborate with the Institute so that we have the data needed to underpin this analysis, and the Institute will publish selected research where this supports open debate.

The government takes the threats of cyber-attacks and data breaches very seriously, which is why the ICO has the power to investigate any concerns raised about the misuse or mishandling of data. It can issue enforcement notices and substantial fines where organisations are found to be in breach of their obligations.

Organisations are required under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act to keep personal data secure and process it fairly, lawfully, and transparently. Whilst the law does not set specific time limits on how long personal data can be held, it stipulates that it cannot be kept for longer than needed.

The government takes the threats of cyber-attacks and data breaches very seriously, which is why the ICO has the power to investigate any concerns raised about the misuse or mishandling of data. It can issue enforcement notices and substantial fines where organisations are found to be in breach of their obligations.

Organisations are required under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act to keep personal data secure and process it fairly, lawfully, and transparently. Whilst the law does not set specific time limits on how long personal data can be held, it stipulates that it cannot be kept for longer than needed.

The Department has not financially supported the development of any technical solutions to protect the creative industries from unauthorised AI scraping. The Government published a report on AI and copyright on 18 March outlining steps on the use of copyright works in AI training. This includes publishing a review of the mechanisms available for creators to control their works online.

Additionally, UK Research and Innovation funds various investments across Responsible AI development and adoption, including DECaDE: Centre for Decentralised Digital Economy. DECaDE undertook research across technologies to develop robust content fingerprinting, distributed provenance registries, and Trustmark, an open-source watermarking technology.

The UK’s starting point is relying on existing rules and regulations and empowering our regulators to consider how best to manage the opportunities and risks of AI. We continue to refine our approach to regulating AI and ensuring our law enforcement authorities have the powers they need to keep people safe. DSIT closely monitors international AI legislation from across the US, EU and elsewhere to ensure the UK’s regulatory approach remains suitable.

The Government recognises concerns about online content and trends that encourage or promote acts of animal cruelty.

The Government and Ofcom have identified animal cruelty as one of the priority kinds of illegal harm under the Online Safety Act regulatory regime. Ofcom’s risk profiles and Register of Risks address how such content and trends can spread on regulated services, including through coordinated challenges or user-generated material.

Regulated platforms are required to carry out suitable and sufficient illegal content risk assessments that cover animal cruelty, and to put in place mitigations to reduce the risk of users encountering or being encouraged to commit such offences. Ofcom is actively monitoring compliance in this area.

The Government recognises concerns about online content and trends that encourage or promote acts of animal cruelty.

The Government and Ofcom have identified animal cruelty as one of the priority kinds of illegal harm under the Online Safety Act regulatory regime. Ofcom’s risk profiles and Register of Risks address how such content and trends can spread on regulated services, including through coordinated challenges or user-generated material.

Regulated platforms are required to carry out suitable and sufficient illegal content risk assessments that cover animal cruelty, and to put in place mitigations to reduce the risk of users encountering or being encouraged to commit such offences. Ofcom is actively monitoring compliance in this area.

The Telecommunications Security Code of Practice provides technical guidance for public telecoms providers on how they can comply with their security requirements as set out in the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 and the Electronic Communications (Security Measures) Regulations 2022.

The government is committed to continuously evaluating the effectiveness of the UK’s telecoms security framework, and the Draft Revised Code of Practice strengthens security guidance to public telecoms providers to reflect evolving technology and emerging security threats.

The government ran a consultation on proposed updates to the Telecommunications Security Code of Practice 2022 from 28 August 2025 to 22 October 2025, and an additional cost survey which ran from 25 November 2025 until 28 January 2026.

Cost related feedback received from the consultation, and the additional cost survey, informed the resulting assessment on costs to industry included in the explanatory memorandum for the Draft Revised Code of Practice, published on GOV.UK on 3 June.

Indicative estimates suggest potential one-off implementation costs of the proposed updates to the Code being in the order of £1.9 million to £3.2 million per provider. Estimates for the ongoing annual costs are approximately £285,000 to £445,000 per provider. The Government considers these costs to be relatively minor, given the critical importance of good security and the current scale and revenues of the UK telecommunications sector.

Underlying cost data from individual providers has not been published, to protect commercial confidentiality and mitigate the risk of exposing vulnerabilities in UK telecoms networks.

The Obesity Pathway Innovation Programme evaluation has been commissioned independently through the National Institute for Health and Care Research and is entirely independent of Eli Lilly and Company. The evaluation team is currently working with funded projects to understand service delivery models and planned data collection, with the final evaluation framework being developed by Autumn 2026. The findings of this independent evaluation will inform national decision-making, including future evidence requirements, and the outputs of the independent evaluation will be disseminated and made publicly available as appropriate.

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) regularly engages with key stakeholders and users to inform the development and improvement of its intellectual property search services. Feedback gathered through this engagement is considered and, where appropriate, incorporated into the ongoing development of the tools.

The IPO provides a range of online search services to help businesses and members of the public access information relating to UK intellectual property rights, including patents, trade marks and registered designs. The IPO is committed to ensuring these services remain accessible, effective and responsive to user needs.

The Government is working closely with regulators and industry to ensure that regulatory requirements are proportionate, coordinated and minimise unnecessary duplication.

Through the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, the Government is bringing data centres within the Network and Information Systems framework and placing them under the oversight of Ofcom. This will create consistent minimum security and resilience requirements across the sector. Other regulatory frameworks will continue to apply where appropriate, including relevant planning, energy, and environmental requirements.

The Government has assessed that the UK’s existing legal framework already requires animals to be used in science only where no validated alternative exists. Through the Replacing Animals in Science strategy, we are accelerating the development, validation and regulatory uptake of alternative methods, supported by investment, regulatory reform and strengthened delivery oversight. The strategy sets out a long-term vision to eliminate animal use in science in all but exceptional circumstances. While the Government keeps the legislative framework under review, our current priority is delivering this science-led programme rather than introducing further legislation.

The Government keeps risks to Critical National Infrastructure, of which data centres are a part, under continuous review through the National Risk Register process and extensive engagement with industry. As the department responsible for data infrastructure, DSIT also conducts rolling assessments of the risk of a cyber-attack to data centres. This is supplemented by DSIT’s ongoing engagement with the sector to continuously test the capabilities of data centres against known threats, including cyber attacks. DSIT’s assessments consider the potential disruption, compromise or denial of essential services resulting from a successful cyber attack on data infrastructure, and inform national resilience planning assumptions.

The Government is investing a record £58.5 billion in research and development between 2026/27 and 2029/30 to support growth and the creation of high-skilled jobs across the UK. This includes funding for UKRI-supported Centres for Doctoral Training in the North West, helping to develop the next generation of researchers and innovators. Around the country, UKRI is investing in around 5000 new PhD studentships each year.

Alongside this, the Government has invested £200m in the TechFirst programme that will reach one million students across every secondary school in the UK, including 400,000 students attending the most disadvantaged schools. This will also provide funding for scholarship, research and employment opportunities for thousands of young people across the country. This includes supporting a pilot in the North West that will combine AI skills training with Level 3 apprenticeships, creating a direct pathway for young people at risk of becoming NEET into skilled employment and informing future national rollout.

The government is committed to building a digitally skilled workforce to support long-term economic growth, drive innovation and expand individual opportunity across the UK.

Skills England has developed a framework outlining the foundational AI skills that are needed to thrive in today’s AI economy. AI Skills Boost courses are underpinned by this framework, and a number of these courses carry additional accreditations.

Anyone who completes an AI Skills Boost Course covering all 6 foundation skills will receive a virtual badge to show they have met this benchmark, which can be displayed on their LinkedIn profile to demonstrate their skills to employers. These courses and virtual badges help employers to know that workers can use AI tools in a safe, effective and responsible way.

Other than civil servants, special advisers and ministers, the other appointment routes into government are public appointments and direct ministerial appointments, which are announced on: Public Appointments Service announcements page and Direct Ministerial Appointments Announcements Portal.

The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology engages regularly with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to ensure the UK energy system supports the UK’s growing digital and AI‑driven demand. DSIT also engages closely with DEFRA and the Environment Agency, recognising the need to ensure AI infrastructure does not compromise the resilience of public water supplies.

The Government is committed to reducing and replacing the use of specially protected species in scientific research through the Replacing Animals in Science strategy. The strategy supports the development, validation and regulatory uptake of human-specific technologies, including advanced cell-based models, organ-on-a-chip systems, data-driven approaches and AI-enabled tools. It includes targeted ambitions to reduce the use of dogs and non-human primates in specific areas of medicines development where scientifically justified and supported by validated alternatives. The use of specially protected species remains subject to stringent controls and is permitted only where no validated alternative exists.

The Government is committed to reducing and replacing the use of specially protected species in scientific research through the Replacing Animals in Science strategy. The strategy supports the development, validation and regulatory uptake of human-specific technologies, including advanced cell-based models, organ-on-a-chip systems, data-driven approaches and AI-enabled tools. It includes targeted ambitions to reduce the use of dogs and non-human primates in specific areas of medicines development where scientifically justified and supported by validated alternatives. The use of specially protected species remains subject to stringent controls and is permitted only where no validated alternative exists.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that critical AI research infrastructure remains resilient and reliable. AIRR systems are hosted in purpose-built data centre environments designed to support high-performance computing, including robust power, cooling and operational resilience measures. Responsibility for day-to-day resilience planning sits with the operators of those facilities, who manage risks including power interruptions, equipment failures and environmental conditions. The Government continues to work with delivery partners to ensure that investments in AI infrastructure are supported by appropriate facilities and operational arrangements.

While HMG has not issued a formal, comprehensive assessment of the Social Market Foundation's July 2024 report, Clearing the Air, its findings remain highly pertinent to ongoing digital market regulatory efforts.

This report was submitted as evidence to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to support its in-depth investigation into competition within the UK's public cloud infrastructure services market. These insights are currently being reviewed to help shape future public sector commercial practices and guidance.

Furthermore, public sector procurement continues to align with the Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Playbook. The playbook establishes essential policy reforms aimed at safeguarding against vendor lock-in and maximizing value for money.

The Department employed 71 agency staff in 2024, 59 in 2025 and 38 so far in 2026

The government recognises the vital role that parents and carers play in supporting children's online safety. Alongside the social media ban, the government will provide a package of support for parents and carers.

This includes an expanded media literacy campaign and Kids Online Safety Hub, providing advice, practical tools and support to help parents and carers support their children in navigating the online world safely and confidently.

We will also work closely with the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care as they develop guidance on the safe and positive use of devices for parents of children aged 5 to 18.

DSIT engages regularly with DEFRA, the Environment Agency and DESNZ, to discuss the impact of AI data centres on the environment. Through the AI Energy Council, the Government is assessing and promoting energy efficiency and clean power solutions.

DSIT will also publish a National Policy Statement, which will establish clear expectations on the design and environmental considerations for data centres seeking development consent through the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects planning process.

The AI Hardware Plan is centred on building an end-to-end AI hardware innovation pipeline, enabling companies to move from research and early-stage product development through to deployment and global scale. It achieves this through over £1.1bn of public investment across four pillars - innovation, skills, procurement and investment.

As set out in the Plan, AI hardware should be understood as the chips and semiconductor technologies that underpin AI, required to enable capability across data centre, edge and embodied AI systems. This includes all the electronic and photonic components of AI systems and the related capability across chip design, manufacturing and system integration, spanning: compute, photonic interconnects and data movement, sensing, and power and energy systems.

The UK AI Research Labs are funded and delivered through UKRI, and will be strategically managed in line with standard M&E processes for a grant of its kind. Additionally, the programme funding is ‘stage-gated’, where the initial research grant period covers only the first 18 months. Subsequent funding will be subject to independent assurance of the labs’ long-term funding, demonstration of an effective operating model, and early delivery impact.

Regarding the long-term funding requirements for the lab, there is no doubt that retaining UK leadership in this space will require continued investment. Future funding requirements and sources will depend on the outcomes of the research among other factors.

The UK AI Research Labs are funded and delivered through UKRI, and will be strategically managed in line with standard M&E processes for a grant of its kind. Additionally, the programme funding is ‘stage-gated’, where the initial research grant period covers only the first 18 months. Subsequent funding will be subject to independent assurance of the labs’ long-term funding, demonstration of an effective operating model, and early delivery impact.

Regarding the long-term funding requirements for the lab, there is no doubt that retaining UK leadership in this space will require continued investment. Future funding requirements and sources will depend on the outcomes of the research among other factors.

NSSIF has no specific minimum or maximum amount of investment, and invests through a range of cheque sizes, co-investing typically at Seed or Series A. NSSIF tends to take a minority stake and not lead the rounds. Details of many of the companies in NSSIF's investment portfolio are published on NSSIF's website

NSSIF has no specific minimum or maximum amount of investment, and invests through a range of cheque sizes, co-investing typically at Seed or Series A. NSSIF tends to take a minority stake and not lead the rounds. Details of many of the companies in NSSIF's investment portfolio are published on NSSIF's website

The Department does not hold estimates for the number of jobs impact for all of the investments that make up the £3bn investment figure. However, we have assessed jobs created by the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund. £87 million has been committed so far to nine projects, unlocking £657 million of private investment, creating 272 jobs and safeguarding a further 1,030. Moderna’s £1bn investment in its new Innovation Centre in Harwell, as part of a 10-year strategic partnership with government to discover new therapies and boost pandemic resilience, will support around 150 highly-skilled jobs.

As with other publicly funded research programmes, Government support for the UK AI Research Labs is intended to deliver value for taxpayers through the talent development, the creation of new businesses and technologies, downstream economic growth, and wider benefits to society. Supporting world-leading research in UK institutions will also help the UK shape the next generation of AI technologies, secure reliable access to advanced systems, and strengthen domestic capability.

The labs’ capacity to ensure fundamental developments can be translated into real-world applications – including commercial opportunities – was a key part of the selection criteria. The selection panel of recognised experts from academia and industry reached their decision on that basis. Both labs have strong links with industry and will continue seeking opportunities for partnerships as they develop.

In line with principles set out in the Modern Industrial Strategy, the labs will be supported by an ecosystem of interventions that ensure the UK reaps the rewards of our leading R&D sector. This could include support from the Sovereign AI Unit – which is backing UK AI companies to start, scale and stay anchored in the UK – as well as UKRI’s AI Priority, Frontier AI, and iCURE programmes, which include support for research translation and commercialisation.

As with other publicly funded research programmes, Government support for the UK AI Research Labs is intended to deliver value for taxpayers through the talent development, the creation of new businesses and technologies, downstream economic growth, and wider benefits to society. Supporting world-leading research in UK institutions will also help the UK shape the next generation of AI technologies, secure reliable access to advanced systems, and strengthen domestic capability.

The labs’ capacity to ensure fundamental developments can be translated into real-world applications – including commercial opportunities – was a key part of the selection criteria. The selection panel of recognised experts from academia and industry reached their decision on that basis. Both labs have strong links with industry and will continue seeking opportunities for partnerships as they develop.

In line with principles set out in the Modern Industrial Strategy, the labs will be supported by an ecosystem of interventions that ensure the UK reaps the rewards of our leading R&D sector. This could include support from the Sovereign AI Unit – which is backing UK AI companies to start, scale and stay anchored in the UK – as well as UKRI’s AI Priority, Frontier AI, and iCURE programmes, which include support for research translation and commercialisation.

As with other publicly funded research programmes, Government support for the UK AI Research Labs is intended to deliver value for taxpayers through the talent development, the creation of new businesses and technologies, downstream economic growth, and wider benefits to society. Supporting world-leading research in UK institutions will also help the UK shape the next generation of AI technologies, secure reliable access to advanced systems, and strengthen domestic capability.

The labs’ capacity to ensure fundamental developments can be translated into real-world applications – including commercial opportunities – was a key part of the selection criteria. The selection panel of recognised experts from academia and industry reached their decision on that basis. Both labs have strong links with industry and will continue seeking opportunities for partnerships as they develop.

In line with principles set out in the Modern Industrial Strategy, the labs will be supported by an ecosystem of interventions that ensure the UK reaps the rewards of our leading R&D sector. This could include support from the Sovereign AI Unit – which is backing UK AI companies to start, scale and stay anchored in the UK – as well as UKRI’s AI Priority, Frontier AI, and iCURE programmes, which include support for research translation and commercialisation.

As with other publicly funded research programmes, Government support for the UK AI Research Labs is intended to deliver value for taxpayers through the talent development, the creation of new businesses and technologies, downstream economic growth, and wider benefits to society. Supporting world-leading research in UK institutions will also help the UK shape the next generation of AI technologies, secure reliable access to advanced systems, and strengthen domestic capability.

The labs’ capacity to ensure fundamental developments can be translated into real-world applications – including commercial opportunities – was a key part of the selection criteria. The selection panel of recognised experts from academia and industry reached their decision on that basis. Both labs have strong links with industry and will continue seeking opportunities for partnerships as they develop.

In line with principles set out in the Modern Industrial Strategy, the labs will be supported by an ecosystem of interventions that ensure the UK reaps the rewards of our leading R&D sector. This could include support from the Sovereign AI Unit – which is backing UK AI companies to start, scale and stay anchored in the UK – as well as UKRI’s AI Priority, Frontier AI, and iCURE programmes, which include support for research translation and commercialisation.