Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

The Online Safety Act addresses illegal mis- and disinformation regardless of whether it is generated or amplified by AI or automated accounts. In-scope services are required to fulfil their obligations under the Act and Ofcom has strong enforcement powers where they fail to comply.

We are taking action across government to ensure a coherent, effective response to misinformation online and its impact on the UK, including through the Defending Democracy Taskforce which coordinates a whole-of-government response to threats to our democratic processes.

The government is committed to tackling misogynistic online content and has taken action by criminalising additional forms of intimate image abuse, as well as prioritising these under the Online Safety Act, and introducing new measures including a 48‑hour takedown duty.

Ofcom has produced guidance setting out how providers can take action against harmful content and activity that disproportionately affects women and girls, in recognition of the unique risks they face. Ofcom surveys found 15% of UK adults reported seeing content that objectified or demeaned women in the four weeks prior to January 2026. This was down from 20% in June 2025. We know there is still much more to do and are committed to acting.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) sponsors the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the statutory regulator for Freedom of Information (FOI), however DSIT is not responsible for government policy and legislation regarding the FOI Act 2000.

The Government is committed to FOI and continues to monitor the performance and implementation of the FOI Act to ensure it is operating as intended by Parliament. Any changes to FOI legislation would be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.

The UK continues to be an attractive destination for AI investment as reflected in OpenAI’s ongoing and expanding presence here through its recent announcement for a large permanent office in London, doubling the current OpenAI headcount here.

The UK Government announced measures to provide price support and accelerate planning and grid connections for AI Growth Zones in November, improving the environment for AI infrastructure in the UK.

OpenAI will continue operating in the UK and have confirmed they will bring their second HQ forward in London - a clear recognition of the UK as a global hub for AI innovation. The Government recognises OpenAI’s decision to pause Stargate UK as part of a wider recalibration of its global Stargate programme, rather than a reflection of conditions specific to the UK.

The Government remains committed to supporting large-scale AI infrastructure through the AI Growth Zone programme, including action to reduce energy costs and address regulatory barriers.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

The Commonwealth Telecommunication Organisation (CTO) is an international organisation, and the United Kingdom is one of 33 Member States. The CTO Secretariat presents statements of annual accounts to its governing Council, which consists of CTO Member States. From 2000 to 2019, annual financial audits of the CTO were carried out on time, presented to successive CTO Council meetings, and formally approved. Audited reports for 2019-20 and 2020-21 were approved by the CTO Council on 24 February 2023. An audited report for the financial year 2021-22 was approved by the CTO Council on 23 April 2026. Audited reports for the years 2022-23 and 2023-24 will be presented shortly. The CTO Council has agreed to reappoint its Auditor to conduct the audits for 2024-25 and 2025-26.

Following the judgement in PMS International Group Plc v Magmatic Limited [2016] UKSC 12, the UK IPO issued guidance to help applicants define their intended scope of protection when registering a design.

The government has undertaken an in-depth review of the legislative framework for designs, followed by a wide-ranging consultation which took place in the autumn of 2025. The consultation included proposals to improve the validity of registered designs, make the designs system more accessible to designers and small businesses and improve access to enforcement. A government response to the consultation will be published later this year.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

The Government does not assess or track the specific commercial valuation of individual companies in the data centre sector, such as Global Switch.

The data centre sector is a success story for the UK and is continuing to grow. It is critical to supporting the UK’s digital economy, underpinning AI adoption, cloud services and productivity across almost every sector.

Researchers in the UK are already pioneering AI-driven applications in drug discovery, and we are taking steps to capture the opportunities this presents. Backed by up to £137m of investment, DSIT's AI for Science Strategy recently launched government's first AI for Science Mission, which will focus on harnessing the technology to accelerate drug discovery and deploy new treatments faster. The Sovereign AI Unit also provided seed funding to the OpenBind consortium to generate foundational protein-ligand structural data to power the next era of AI for drug design.

The Life Sciences Sector Plan and 10-Year Health Plan set out our vision to harness UK science and support adoption of innovation throughout the NHS to drive better health. For example, the Health Innovation Network plays a vital role in connecting innovators with NHS systems and supporting health and social care teams to identify, test and implement new solutions at scale - having already supported over 4.9 million patients.

Across the board, our plans also strengthen investment opportunities and partnerships across data, discovery and clinical trials to drive a thriving UK life sciences sector. This is demonstrated most recently by Boehringer Ingelheim’s investment of £150 million in King’s Cross to build capacity in AI and Machine Learning.

Finally, the launch of the Single National Formulary will play a key role in supporting equitable access and adoption of the most clinically and cost-effective medicines across England.

From 2027, the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) will cut energy bills by up to 25% for eligible, energy-intensive manufacturers in the priority industries in the Industrial Strategy -including semiconductors. This will give businesses certainty and stability, and back Britain’s fastest growing sectors with the support they need to prosper.

The Electronic Communications Code allows for site providers to serve Notices to Quit in specific limited circumstances, including if land is to be redeveloped and is no longer suitable to host telecommunications apparatus, or needs to be moved.

We recognise that mobile operators have raised concerns about the impact of Notices to Quit on the deployment of mobile infrastructure, particularly in more urban areas, as operators search for alternative sites to host equipment. To minimise the impact of this on mobile coverage and capacity, in its recent Call for Evidence on reforms to planning legislation, the government proposed to extend the period by which equipment can be deployed on an emergency basis without planning permission from 18 months to 36 months. This will ensure operators can continue to provide connectivity to local areas without planning permission while they identify new permanent sites. We are considering the responses to this Call for Evidence and will set out the next steps in due course.

The Electronic Communications Code allows for site providers to serve Notices to Quit in specific limited circumstances, including if land is to be redeveloped and is no longer suitable to host telecommunications apparatus, or needs to be moved.

We recognise that mobile operators have raised concerns about the impact of Notices to Quit on the deployment of mobile infrastructure, particularly in more urban areas, as operators search for alternative sites to host equipment. To minimise the impact of this on mobile coverage and capacity, in its recent Call for Evidence on reforms to planning legislation, the government proposed to extend the period by which equipment can be deployed on an emergency basis without planning permission from 18 months to 36 months. This will ensure operators can continue to provide connectivity to local areas without planning permission while they identify new permanent sites. We are considering the responses to this Call for Evidence and will set out the next steps in due course.

AI is a general-purpose technology with a wide range of applications, which is why the UK believes that the vast majority of AI systems should be regulated at the point of use. In response to the AI Action Plan, the government committed to work with regulators to boost their capabilities.

The role of the AI Security Institute (AISI) is to build an evidence base of these risks, to inform government decision making and help make AI more secure and reliable.

AISI works in close collaboration with AI companies to assess model safeguards and suggest mitigations. To date, AISI has tested over 30 models from leading AI companies, including OpenAI, Google DeepMind and Anthropic. AISI’s findings lead to tangible changes to AI models before deployment, reducing the risk from day one.

The NC3Rs does not sponsor UAR activities beyond being a signatory and participant in the UK Concordat on Openness on Animal Research which is managed by UAR.

The NC3Rs works with a range of relevant stakeholders across the life sciences sector, including animal welfare organisations such as the RSPCA, to ensure balance and engagement in its programmes of work to advance the 3Rs.

While social media can play an important role in society, it is unacceptable that people use it to threaten our communities. Government engages with local authorities to monitor issues affecting cohesion, including misinformation and disinformation.

Under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom has broad information-gathering powers and has consulted on a new crisis measure which includes an expectation on platforms to conduct post-crisis analyses to improve transparency.

In Protecting What Matters – the government’s plan to improve social cohesion – we further committed to reviewing the Online Safety Act’s crisis powers to ensure they are fit for purpose and adequately tackling issues including mis- and disinformation.

While social media can play an important role in society, it is unacceptable that people use it to threaten our communities. Government engages with local authorities to monitor issues affecting cohesion, including misinformation and disinformation.

Under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom has broad information-gathering powers and has consulted on a new crisis measure which includes an expectation on platforms to conduct post-crisis analyses to improve transparency.

In Protecting What Matters – the government’s plan to improve social cohesion – we further committed to reviewing the Online Safety Act’s crisis powers to ensure they are fit for purpose and adequately tackling issues including mis- and disinformation.

The strategy sets out seven commitments to increase confidence in the validation and regulatory uptake of alternative methods.

On 24 March, the MHRA announced it will offer early regulatory review of non‑animal data, including data generated using in silico approaches, to provide clarity on how such data will be assessed ahead of clinical trials. MHRA is the first UK regulator to offer this service, setting a precedent which the Government expects other regulators to follow.

The Government will publish a delivery update, including the regulatory elements of the strategy, later in 2026.

The cyber security of the UK is a priority for the government and we have robust measures in place to protect our critical national infrastructure and essential public services. It is clear that artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities are accelerating quickly, which presents both risks and opportunities for cyber security.

The government takes these accelerating capabilities very seriously. We have been clear ongoing action is needed to improve UK cyber defences. We are already taking significant steps, including working across government and industry to understand the latest developments, publishing evaluations of the latest AI models, and taking widespread action to improve cyber resilience across the economy and help organisations protect against AI-driven threats.

On 15 April the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Security Minister wrote an open letter to businesses urging them to strengthen their cyber resilience. On 22 April the government announced further measures to improve UK cyber resilience, including £90m of new funding to boost cyber security, and the new Cyber Resilience Pledge companies can take to demonstrate their commitment to cyber security.

The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill is currently making its way through Parliament and later this year we will publish a new National Cyber Action Plan. Cyber security is a shared responsibility and both industry and government must play their part in tackling this challenge. This includes the urgent need for tech companies to ensure they develop secure by design software and devices, aligned to agreed standards and codes of practice.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) provides training for civil servants through a combination of cross‑government, departmental and locally procured learning, alongside apprenticeships and structured development schemes.

We define training programmes as a broad term covering both individual courses and collections of interventions delivered under a single scheme.

Since its establishment, DSIT has accessed learning through Civil Service Learning, the Government Campus, and specialist external providers, which together support core, functional, profession‑specific and domain‑specific capability‑building. The Department has offered learning covering core skills, leadership and management, and specialist skills, including artificial intelligence.

DSIT also offers internal learning through departmental‑led provision, including learning supported through professions and initiatives focused on leadership development, specialist capability‑building, and talent and career development.

DSIT does not hold a single, centrally maintained list of all individual training courses undertaken. Learning is delivered through multiple teams and platforms aligned to business and professional needs, which is consistent with practice across government departments.

The pilots were developed by professional analysts within DSIT, with advice from the Government Office for Science. This included a roundtable convened by the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Dame Angela McLean, of academics and Chief Scientific Advisers from FCDO, DfE and College of Policing. Private contractors were not involved in designing the methodology.

The pilots are qualitative studies, intended to generate in‑depth insights into young people’s navigation and experience of social media. The research is not designed to be statistically representative, so KPIs are limited to delivery logistics, such as recruitment targets, rather than impact measures.

The estimated number of premises currently without access to good mobile coverage for each of these areas based on the latest Ofcom data was provided in our answer to question 125033.

The Government is committed to ensuring that any risks from the industry-led migration of the copper based Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for everyone across the UK, including in Ceredigion Preseli. The Government has had confirmation from major communication providers that no existing PSTN customers will be left without a landline alternative.

All network operator’s have committed significant investment in line with Government's ambition for standalone 5G to be available in all populated areas by 2030. In addition, the Shared Rural Network, jointly funded by the Government and the UK’s mobile network operators (MNOs), is utilising Government funding to incentivise mobile network operators to deliver commercial outdoor mobile coverage in rural areas, where there was previously limited or no 4G coverage at all. The programme has been successful in helping to achieve 96% 4G coverage from at least one operator across the UK landmass.

Government does not hold data on MNO’s future deployment plans. Along with the emergence of Direct to Device connectivity, this means that we cannot provide a reliable estimate of how many premises would be left without adequate mobile coverage from any operator at the point in time when the PSTN and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) are switched off. No existing PSTN customers will be left without a landline alternative.

Child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) is an abhorrent and serious crime and tackling it online is an absolute priority for this Government. The Online Safety Act places its strongest protections around children, imposing robust legal duties on online services to prevent their platforms from being used to groom, exploit and sexually abuse children.

Ofcom has set out measures in its codes of practice, including automated detection, moderation, and anti‑grooming safeguards. These duties have been in force since March last year. Ofcom keeps its approach under review, is consulting on further measures and has already carried out enforcement with a particular focus on CSEA.

The OECD estimates that widespread AI adoption could boost UK productivity by 0.4-1.3 percentage points annually through automation and augmentation, potentially adding £55-140bn in GVA by 2030. That combined with the opportunities this technology brings for people is why we have set the ambition to make the UK the country with the fastest rate of AI adoption in the G7.

DSIT's Secretary of State and the Chancellor have made it clear that accelerating AI adoption is a key priority for this government. We will soon host the AI Adoption Summit, to support industry to adopt and scale AI to help workers and grow their businesses. This will complement existing activity across DSIT designed to support business AI adoption, such as our AI and digital upskilling programmes, dedicated guidance and support for SMEs through Innovate UK’s BridgeAI programme, and the AI Growth Lab, a cross-economy AI sandbox which will enable responsible AI products and services to be deployed under close supervision in live markets.

We have a strong and globally competitive AI ecosystem, and we are focused on ensuring that this strength translates into commercial success, productivity gains and public benefit.

We have established the Sovereign AI Unit, backed by up to £500 million, to invest in and support high-growth UK AI companies. The Government will encourage innovation by acting as a first customer for promising UK start-ups that are building high-quality AI hardware products through an Advance Market Commitment of up £100 million. We are also strengthening the UK’s scale-up finance ecosystem more broadly, including increasing the capitalisation of the National Wealth Fund to £27.8 billion and scaling up the British Business Bank to £25.6 billion, with expanded investment into growth-stage funds.

We are committed to ensuring the UK is the leading adopter of AI in the G7, and the Government will look at how regulation, data and access to finance can support adoption including by working closely with sectoral AI Champions to identify new solutions. DSIT will track the UK's progress by using national and international adoption surveys, applying adjustments where needed to improve cross-country comparability.

Decisions on investment are a matter for private companies. The Government has been clear that it will encourage and support investments that will enable UK firms and people to benefit. Many of the large-scale AI infrastructure projects in the UK have been publicly announced, with most of these having press releases available on Gov.uk. The Government continues to engage across the board on these investments to ensure that they deliver the best outcomes for the UK.

Our focus is on continuing to create the right conditions for investment in the UK’s AI data centre infrastructure. We are continuing to work with OpenAI and other leading AI companies to strengthen UK compute capacity.

Telecoms supply chains are complex and international and are managed by industry. However, the government is committed to ensuring secure and resilient telecoms supply chains.

The robust Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 regime places obligations on public communications providers to manage supply chain risks, including to identify, reduce and prepare for the risk of security compromises to their networks. Ofcom monitors compliance with these obligations through its information gathering powers, and the Secretary of State makes decisions on enforcement based on this information and additional advice. The Act also gives ministers powers to restrict the use of vendors in UK networks on national security grounds.

The previous government have used the Act’s national security powers to designate Huawei in 2022, and issue legally binding directions restricting their use in UK telecoms networks, supported by a strengthened underpinned by an enforcement regime including clear financial penalties for non-compliance.

The telecoms security Code of Practice was introduced in 2022, which sets out in detail the technical and organisational steps public communications providers must take to identify, reduce and manage supply chain and vendor‑related security risks, with compliance overseen and enforced by Ofcom. We are currently in the process of updating the Code of Practice to provide public telecoms providers with further guidance, reflecting recent changes in threats and technologies

We are also committed to growing the UK’s role in Advanced Connectivity Technology supply chains. The government is supporting targeted R&D programmes with UKRI and other partners to support the development and commercialisation of next generation technologies. This will enable UK firms to participate more fully in global telecoms supply chains and reduce UK dependence on other countries.

Telecoms supply chain risks are considered as part of cross-government efforts to improve the security and resilience of supply chains. The government works with business to address these risks, building the conditions required to deliver secure growth. The government continues to monitor and respond to turbulence in global sectors and supply chains that are crucial to the UK’s economic and national security.

The Government is aware of strategic decisions made in France regarding their choice of operating systems. The UK will always be diligent in assessing the benefits to ensure it selects the most appropriate operating system for its context, balancing costs, functionality, upkeep and wider requirements.

We recognise the important role of trusted online health content. The Online Safety Act places duties on services to protect their users including from illegal content and content harmful to children. It does not prevent adults or children from accessing legal content about women’s health. Users of the largest categorised services will have access to effective complaints procedures to appeal when content is unduly taken down.

The Government announced the joint pornography team as part of the VAWG strategy in December. In March, it committed to produce a delivery plan setting out how the government can most effectively close the gap between the regulation of online and offline pornographic content. This will test audit and reporting functions and will consider which regulatory frameworks can best address the issue, noting the interactions with the BBFC’s existing remit and that of Ofcom under the Online Safety Act.

Fees are reviewed regularly to ensure the UK intellectual property framework remains accessible. The recent increase in statutory fees was a general uplift which did not alter the structure of designs fees.

The outcome of the recent consultation on changes to the UK designs framework may require a re-examination of the fee structure for designs, however the government is aware that users of the UK designs system value the low-cost of registering designs compared to other jurisdictions.

Since the criminal offence for unauthorised copying of a registered design was introduced by the Intellectual Property Act 2014, there is one reported case on record which included a conviction for an offence under section 35ZA of the Registered Designs Act 1949.

The government included a call for evidence on extending criminal sanctions to the unauthorised copying of unregistered designs in the consultation on changes to the UK designs framework which closed on 27 November 2025. At this stage, no decisions have been made and the evidence received is still being analysed. A government response to the consultation will be published later this year.

The Sovereign AI Fund operates on a commercial basis and within the UK’s existing legal framework. Companies receiving equity investment through Sovereign AI undergo due diligence before receiving funds or other support and are expected to comply with all applicable laws, including UK copyright law.

The Government has been clear that copyright rules should be respected. Use of copyright works to train AI in the UK requires a licence unless an exception applies. Companies supported by the Sovereign AI Fund are expected to comply with applicable UK law.

The Sovereign AI Fund operates on a commercial basis and within the UK’s existing legal framework. Companies receiving equity investment through Sovereign AI undergo due diligence before receiving funds or other support and are expected to comply with all applicable laws, including UK copyright law.

The Government has been clear that copyright rules should be respected. Use of copyright works to train AI in the UK requires a licence unless an exception applies. Companies supported by the Sovereign AI Fund are expected to comply with applicable UK law.

The Sovereign AI Fund operates on a commercial basis and within the UK’s existing legal framework. Companies receiving equity investment through Sovereign AI undergo due diligence before receiving funds or other support and are expected to comply with all applicable laws, including UK copyright law.

The Government has been clear that copyright rules should be respected. Use of copyright works to train AI in the UK requires a licence unless an exception applies. Companies supported by the Sovereign AI Fund are expected to comply with applicable UK law.

The adequacy of Ofcom’s powers is kept under review. For example, the Mobile Market Review call for evidence launched in February 2026 will enable the government to ensure that our policy and regulatory framework supports the sector.

And, for example, Ofcom has strong and extensive powers under the Online Safety Act, including the ability to request information, investigate non‑compliance and fine companies up to 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue. Recently, the Government strengthened Ofcom’s role under the Online Safety Act by making intimate image abuse and cyberflashing priority offences, placing clear duties on platforms to prevent this content and reinforcing Ofcom’s oversight of compliance.

UKRI will report on its portfolio of investments in alternative methods, including any AI focused methods, in 2026. The Government will publish a delivery update, alongside key performance indicators on progress across all elements of the Replacing Animals in Science strategy, later in 2026.