Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the Director General for Digital Centre Design was involved in the procurement process that awarded a departmental contract to Public Digital.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has not awarded any contracts to Public Digital.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure Ofcom regulation does not lead to censorship of lawful content online.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Safeguards for freedom of expression have been built into the framework of the Online Safety Act. Ofcom is independent but must act in a way that is compatible with the European Convention of Human Rights, including in relation to freedom of expression. This is particularly important as Ofcom develops codes of practice and make enforcement decisions.

In-scope companies must implement safeguards for freedom of expression when fulfilling their duties. The framework's focus on transparency and user reporting will also enable users to more effectively appeal incorrect content removal.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to prevent the removal of lawful content online.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Safeguards for freedom of expression have been built into the framework of the Online Safety Act. Ofcom is independent but must act in a way that is compatible with the European Convention of Human Rights, including in relation to freedom of expression. This is particularly important as Ofcom develops codes of practice and make enforcement decisions.

In-scope companies must implement safeguards for freedom of expression when fulfilling their duties. The framework's focus on transparency and user reporting will also enable users to more effectively appeal incorrect content removal.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions her Department has had with social media platforms on the impact of content removal policies on freedom of speech.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Online Safety Act ensures accountability for tech companies for the safety of their users while upholding freedom of expression online. Ofcom and social media platforms have freedom of expression duties for which they can be held accountable. The Act does not prevent adults from seeking out legal content, nor does it decide what legal content platforms should or should not allow for adults.

The government works closely with Ofcom to ensure the framework is implemented effectively and proportionately, including in relation to freedom of expression. The government regularly engages with a wide range of organisations, including social media platforms, to support implementation.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has had recent discussions with Ofcom on the protection of lawful free speech online.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Online Safety Act ensures accountability for tech companies for the safety of their users while upholding freedom of expression online. Ofcom and social media platforms have freedom of expression duties for which they can be held accountable. The Act does not prevent adults from seeking out legal content, nor does it decide what legal content platforms should or should not allow for adults.

The government works closely with Ofcom to ensure the framework is implemented effectively and proportionately, including in relation to freedom of expression. The government regularly engages with a wide range of organisations, including social media platforms, to support implementation.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help safeguard public sector digital infrastructure against cyberattacks.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Government is committed to improving the cyber resilience of public sector digital infrastructure, focusing our efforts around the Government Cyber Security Strategy.

We have already made important steps to better understand and mitigate cyber risk and are now accelerating our response to address key risks and better support departments through a more interventionist approach.

This accelerated response will address the long-standing shortage of cyber skills, strengthen accountability for cyber risks, provide greater support for delivery in the form of cyber services, guidance, and hands-on technical support and bolster our response capabilities to fast-moving cyber incidents.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to reduce digital exclusion in Beckenham and Penge constituency.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

We know that digital exclusion is a complex issue, and that a reported 6% of residents in the Outer London - South area do not use the internet. That is why we launched the Digital Inclusion Action Plan which sets out the first five actions we are taking over the next year to boost digital inclusion in every corner of the UK, including in Beckenham and Penge.

They 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. One of these actions was to launch the £9.5mn Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund to support and expand local community initiatives to get people online, which we did in August.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will support Ofcom in developing best practice guidance for telecoms companies on (a) board leadership, (b) governance and (c) the role of internal audit in managing cyber and data security risks.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government keeps the financial health of the market under close review and Ofcom have powers to request financial information from providers. The Telecommunications Security Code of Practice provides guidance on how communications providers can meet statutory requirements to secure their networks and services. These include requirements on auditing, governance and board responsibilities. Ofcom monitor and enforce compliance with these requirements. Following detailed engagement with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), Ofcom and communications providers, the Government have launched a public consultation on proposed updates to the Code, which is open until 22 October.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of major broadband providers not having internal audit functions on (a) risk management and (b) cybersecurity governance .

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government keeps the financial health of the market under close review and Ofcom have powers to request financial information from providers. The Telecommunications Security Code of Practice provides guidance on how communications providers can meet statutory requirements to secure their networks and services. These include requirements on auditing, governance and board responsibilities. Ofcom monitor and enforce compliance with these requirements. Following detailed engagement with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), Ofcom and communications providers, the Government have launched a public consultation on proposed updates to the Code, which is open until 22 October.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of including guidance on the role of internal audit in providing independent assurance on telecommunications security risks, in the context of the review of the Telecommunications Security Code of Practice.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government keeps the financial health of the market under close review and Ofcom have powers to request financial information from providers. The Telecommunications Security Code of Practice provides guidance on how communications providers can meet statutory requirements to secure their networks and services. These include requirements on auditing, governance and board responsibilities. Ofcom monitor and enforce compliance with these requirements. Following detailed engagement with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), Ofcom and communications providers, the Government have launched a public consultation on proposed updates to the Code, which is open until 22 October.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of governance arrangements for broadband providers regulated by Ofcom, in the context of the open letter from the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors to Ofcom of 1 August 2025.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government keeps the financial health of the market under close review and Ofcom have powers to request financial information from providers. The Telecommunications Security Code of Practice provides guidance on how communications providers can meet statutory requirements to secure their networks and services. These include requirements on auditing, governance and board responsibilities. Ofcom monitor and enforce compliance with these requirements. Following detailed engagement with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), Ofcom and communications providers, the Government have launched a public consultation on proposed updates to the Code, which is open until 22 October.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions her Department has had with email service providers on the adequacy of account recovery processes for victims of mobile phone theft.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has not held discussions with email service providers specifically on the adequacy of account recovery processes for victims of mobile phone theft. The Home Office leads on matters relating to the consequences of crime and supporting victims, including work to tackle mobile phone theft and its associated harms. DSIT continues to engage with industry on broader issues of digital security and resilience, including the safe use of online services and the protection of personal data.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to (a) tackle digital exclusion and (b) ensure that people who are digitally excluded have access to (i) advice and (ii) online services.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Digital Inclusion Action Plan sets out the first five actions we are taking over the next year to boost digital inclusion in every corner of the UK. These first actions will widen access to devices, drive digital upskilling, break down barriers to participation and get support to people in their own communities.

We are committed to ensuring that government online and digital services are as accessible as possible and are exploring how to extend the scope of the standards beyond central government into the wider public sector and looking at revising them to include inclusive service design.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent progress she has made on the rollout of 5G to rural communities.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Our ambition is for all populated areas, including rural communities, to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030 and I will work closely with mobile network operators who are delivering this.

We are committed to ensuring we have the right policy and regulatory framework in place to support investment into mobile networks and competition in the market.

In their Connected Nations Spring update, published 8 May 2025, Ofcom reports that 5G (combined standalone and non-standalone 5G) is available outside 82% of UK rural premises from at least one mobile operator, but this falls to 8% from all four operators.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of internet connectivity in the Borough of Hounslow.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

We understand the Borough of Hounslow to have good internet connectivity.

According to the independent website Thinkbroadband.com, over 98% of premises in the Borough of Hounslow can access superfast broadband speeds (30 Mbps), which is in line with the UK average. Over 93% have access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection (>1000 Mbps), which is above the national average of 88%.

For users accessing the internet on a mobile device, Ofcom reports that 4G is available across almost 100% of the Borough of Hounslow from all four mobile operators, while 5G (standalone and non-standalone) is available outside 97% of premises across the Borough from all four operators.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to improve internet access in rural areas of Newbury constituency.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

According to the independent website Thinkbroadband.com, 99% of premises in the Newbury constituency can already access superfast broadband speeds (>=30 Mbps), and 90% can access a gigabit-capable broadband connection.

To improve this further, Openreach is delivering a Project Gigabit contract across West Berkshire. Approximately 1,150 homes and businesses in the Newbury constituency are currently set to benefit from this contract, with the vast majority located in rural areas. Additionally, premises in the constituency are expected to be connected by suppliers’ commercial rollout plans.

Ofcom also reports that 96% of rural areas in the Newbury constituency have 4G geographic coverage from all four mobile operators, while 5G is available outside 72% of rural premises from at least one operator. Our ambition is for all populated areas, including rural communities, to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030 and we will work closely with mobile network operators who are delivering this.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce for minimum age restrictions for social media platforms to be enforced by Ofcom.

Answered by Lord Leong - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Keeping children safe online is a priority for the government.

The Online Safety Act’s child safety duties are now in force and in scope services must provide age-appropriate experiences for children, including using highly effective age assurance to stop children encountering the most harmful content. Ofcom, the regulator of the Act, has set out measures for services to take to comply with the child safety duties and will look to strengthen its codes in future iterations as online harms, technology and the evidence evolves.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of research into the use of screens by children and young people replacing activities associated with healthy development, such as good quality sleep or time spent with family.

Answered by Lord Leong - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government recognises that children’s online activity can have benefits, from making new connections to learning new skills to gaining invaluable independence. This is why the right balance should be struck between offline activities and time spent online.

Existing research is uncertain about the causal relationships between screentime and child development. The government continues to explore how to improve the evidence base, including through further UKRI and NIHR-funded studies. This includes commissioning a feasibility study into research on the impact of social media and smartphone use on children. The report will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of research that demonstrates the positive impacts of screen time on children and young people with a causal effect.

Answered by Lord Leong - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government recognises that children’s online activity can have benefits, from making new connections to learning new skills to gaining invaluable independence. This is why the right balance should be struck between offline activities and time spent online.

Existing research is uncertain about the causal relationships between screentime and child development. The government continues to explore how to improve the evidence base, including through further UKRI and NIHR-funded studies. This includes commissioning a feasibility study into research on the impact of social media and smartphone use on children. The report will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on UK public policy and the protection of vulnerable people of the lawsuit by Matt and Maria Raine against OpenAI over the death of their teenage son.

Answered by Lord Leong - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government is deeply concerned about every death by suicide, including those that occur following content viewed online. The government keeps all legislation under review and will act where needed to protect and support vulnerable people in society.

Under the Online Safety Act, in-scope services must protect all users from in-scope illegal content and children from in-scope harmful content, such as suicide content, including where it is AI generated.

The government is committed to keeping children safe online and will not hesitate to strengthen the law where required to further protect them.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking with private companies to increase the coverage of full fibre broadband in the London Borough of Hounslow.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

We have created a competition-friendly environment in areas, such as the London Borough of Hounslow, where deployment is commercially viable. We continue to engage the commercial market to ensure that the regulatory landscape best supports continued delivery of fibre broadband, including working to removing the barriers to deployment. For example, we will consult and then seek to legislate as soon as possible to address the challenges faced in securing connections in blocks of flats.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to support Openreach to provide fibre to the premises connections in (a) Alfriston Road, Berwick and (b) other rural areas in Lewes constituency.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

This government is committed to delivering nationwide gigabit coverage by 2032 and we have created a regulatory environment that incentivises private investment, including from Openreach, in areas where deployment is commercially viable.

Additionally, CityFibre is delivering a Project Gigabit contract across East and West Sussex. This contract currently includes approximately 7,800 premises in the Lewes constituency, the vast majority of which are in rural areas. Premises on Alfriston Road, Berwick, are currently included within the scope of this contract.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when CityFibre will install fibre to in-scope postcodes in East Hampshire constituency; and whether this has been delayed.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

As part of Project Gigabit, CityFibre is delivering a contract to bring gigabit-capable broadband to thousands of premises across Hampshire. The contract is designed to be delivered in stages and premises in the East Hampshire constituency were initially scheduled to be reached in its latter stages, which is currently due to run until 2030.

Building Digital UK (BDUK) continues to work closely with CityFibre to review the scope of the contract in consideration of suppliers’ latest commercial rollout plans and may agree changes to CityFibre’s delivery should this be required. BDUK and CityFibre will keep local communities informed of the rollout plans during each stage of contract.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of current safeguards at social media companies in detecting AI-generated disinformation targeting minority communities.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Online Safety Act gives services duties to protect all UK users from illegal content, including illegal AI-generated disinformation. These protections apply to all users, including minority communities who are often disproportionately targeted by harmful online content.

Ofcom’s illegal content codes of practice strengthen the safeguards by requiring services to reduce exposure to illegal content. With Ofcom, we are monitoring the implementation of the Act and platforms’ compliance.

This Government recognises the challenges of detecting AI-generated content and is partnering with industry and academia to support technical innovation.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that artificial intelligence labs prevent chatbots from discussing suicide with teenagers.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Every death by suicide is a tragedy and the government is deeply concerned about the role that online content can play.

Services in scope of the Online Safety Act have duties to protect all users from illegal suicide content and protect children from harmful content that encourages, promotes, or provides instructions for suicide. This includes regulated AI-generated content.

The government keeps all legislation under review and will not hesitate to strengthen the law, where required, to protect children.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with technology companies regarding preventing foreign governments from using artificial intelligence to run online disinformation campaigns in the United Kingdom.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The government engages regularly with technology companies to make clear their responsibility to keep users safe.

The Online Safety Act requires all in-scope companies to tackle illegal content, including state-sponsored disinformation that meets the threshold of the Foreign Interference Offence. Where such content is generated using artificial intelligence, it would be captured as the Act applies regardless of how the content is produced.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate he has made of the number of premises without access to gigabit-capable broadband in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Through its Open Market Review (OMR) process, Building Digital UK identifies premises in England and Wales with no gigabit network infrastructure and where none is likely to be developed within the next three years. This information is routinely published on the GOV.UK website. In Scotland, this process is carried out by the Scottish Government, who will hold the most up to date information on the Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency.

Additionally, the independent website ThinkBroadband.com publishes its own information on broadband coverage at a constituency level. It reports that 67.6% of premises in the hon. Member’s constituency can access a gigabit-capable connection.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with Ofcom on the number of mobile phone not-spots in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

According to Ofcom’s Connected Nations Spring Update (8 May 2025), approximately 24% of the constituency of Inverness, Skye and West Ross-Shire has no 4G geographic coverage from any mobile network operator (MNO), and similarly around 20% of premises lack 5G coverage outside.

The government is working closely with the MNOs on improving mobile coverage right across the UK, including in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-Shire. We recently upgraded and activated a Home Office mast near Kyle of Lochalsh for the Shared Rural Network and there will be further coverage improvements to come from that programme.

Our ambition is for all populated areas to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030, and we are committed to ensuring we have the right policy and regulatory framework to support investment and competition in the market.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate he has made of the number of households with copper-based broadband connections only in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Using Connected Nations 2025 Spring Update data published by Ofcom, we estimate that of the 52,930 residential properties in the Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency, approximately 18,540 households (35%) are reliant on copper-based broadband connections, and 34,390 households have access to full fibre broadband. Most of these premises may also have recourse to connectivity through fixed wireless access.

These figures are accurate as of January 2025. The figure for copper-based connections includes broadband delivered by mixed technologies such as fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) as well as solely copper-based technologies such as ADSL.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to introduce skills retraining and workforce support measures, in the context of the deployment of AI technologies in workplaces.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

We want to ensure that people have access to good, meaningful work. AI will impact the labour market and Government is working to harness its benefits in terms of boosting growth, productivity, living standards, and worker wellbeing, while mitigating the risks. We’re planning for varied outcomes and monitoring data to track and prepare for these. The Get Britain Working White Paper sets out how we will address key challenges and that includes giving people the skills to get those jobs and spread opportunity to fix the foundations of our economy to seize AI’s potential.

The Government is supporting workforce readiness for AI through a range of initiatives. The new AI Skills Hub, developed by Innovate UK and PwC, provides streamlined access to digital training. This will support government priorities through tackling critical skills gaps and improving workforce readiness. We are also partnering with 11 major companies to train 7.5 million UK workers in essential AI skills by 2030.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when she plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Newton Abbot, dated 2 July 2025, on behalf of his constituent L Coombes.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department places significant importance on providing timely responses to correspondence. We sincerely apologise for the delay in this instance and assure the Member that a full response will be provided as soon as possible.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of claims that universities are threatening legal action against the Alan Turing Institute over cancelled partnerships.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Alan Turing Institute is currently undertaking a consultation process which will aim to concentrate the institute’s activities on fewer projects in line with its Turing 2.0 strategy. The Alan Turing Institute is an independent legal entity, so these consultations, and any related changes, are being handled internally within the institute.

It is important that the Institute delivers value for money and maximum impact for taxpayers, and we will continue our work to support that ambition.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential closure of the Public Policy Progamme at the Alan Turing Institute, as suggested by the recent departure of both co-directors; and what assessment they have made of the impact of this potential closure on the Institute’s charitable mission.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

In 2024, the Quinquennial Review provided advice on how to strengthen successful delivery of the Turing 2.0 strategy and help shape its future direction in a rapidly changing artificial intelligence (AI) landscape.

Following this review, the Alan Turing Institute has launched a consultation process, which will aim to concentrate the institute’s activities on fewer projects in line with its strategy. The Alan Turing Institute is an independent organisation, and these consultations are being handled internally within the institute.

We note that the CEO of the Institute has recently announced her resignation. We will continue ensuring that the Institute delivers value for money to the taxpayer.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Answer of 11 September 2025 to Question 73941 on Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Social Media, how much his Department has spent on social media influencers by influencer since July 2024.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has spent £490 since July 2024. Influencers can be effective in reaching audiences that the Government and traditional marketing channels find hard to reach.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to immigration laws on the level of recruitment of skilled science professionals from abroad.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government remains committed to attracting the best talent from around the world to the UK.

The Immigration White Paper makes clear the valuable contribution that high-skilled workers make to our science and technology sectors. It also set-out our ambition to increase the number of very high skilled individuals coming here through high-talent routes like the Global Talent and High Potential Individual visas, alongside faster routes for bringing people to the UK who have the right skills and experience to supercharge UK growth in strategic industries.

DSIT is working closely with the Home Office to implement these commitments.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025, what progress he has made on bringing globally mobile manufacturing investments to the UK via the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The up to £520m Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund was launched in 2024 to incentivise commercial-scale manufacturing of medicines and medical devices. The fund aims to drive economic growth and build UK health resilience. There have been four application rounds to date and we expect to announce the first set of grant winners in the coming month. In addition, we have recently invested £30 million in a new UK RNA Biofoundry, and we continue to work on our long-term partnerships with Moderna and BioNTech, which will grow the UK’s manufacturing and R&D capabilities for the benefit of UK patients.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to phase out the use of animals for the production of antibodies.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

I refer the hon. Member for East Antrim to the answer of 23rd of June 2025 to Question 59903.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps their Department is taking to implement the guidance entitled The government’s approach to rural proofing 2025, published on 15 May 2025.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government has made a commitment that all policy decision-making should be rural proofed. Rural proofing ensures that rural areas are not overlooked and that the intended outcomes are deliverable in rural areas.

Defra leads on rural proofing, but individual departments are responsible for ensuring that their policy decision-making is rural proofed.

The Digital Inclusion Action Plan – First Steps, published in February 2025, sets out our first actions to tackle digital exclusion. While it outlines key demographic groups, it recognises that rural communities are also impacted.

To ensure rural areas are not left behind and have access to digital infrastructure, we are continuing to deliver gigabit-capable broadband and 4G mobile coverage through Project Gigabit and the Shared Rural Network.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the delay in full Shared Rural Network rollout until 2027 on rural businesses; and what steps she is taking to mitigate this.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Ofcom is responsible for assessing the 4G coverage improvements delivered by the Shared Rural Network. Its latest published figures show that 4G now reaches over 95% of UK landmass. This means that the Shared Rural Network met its overarching target a year ahead of schedule. The delivery of the programme was always due to continue until January 2027, at which point Ofcom will assess further coverage improvements from the publicly-funded parts of the programme.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of international regulations regarding low-Earth-orbit satellites on (1) the UK's strategic communications capabilities and (2) the resilience of UK critical national infrastructure.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government recognises that Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications present major opportunities for the UK. International regulations governing LEO satellites directly impact our strategic communications capabilities and the resilience of critical national infrastructure.

Ofcom represents the UK at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and DSIT is working closely with departments and Ofcom to shape the UK’s position ahead of the 2027 ITU World Radio Conference, ensuring regulations reflect national policy objectives and strategic priorities.

As outlined in the Industrial Strategy, the Government aims to work with international partners to ensure evolving regulations continue to support UK strategic goals and the deployment of advanced connectivity technologies.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with business representatives on ensuring that elderly people are not prevented from using businesses that choose to move to digital-only services.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The government does not generally intervene in how businesses choose to conduct their activities or offer their products and services. However, the Government expects all businesses to treat all consumers fairly.

Having said that, everyone has a role to play in realising a shared vision for a digitally inclusive UK to ensure everyone, including the elderly, can participate in our modern digital society. That is why we launched the Digital Inclusion Action Plan in February, which sets out the first actions we are taking over the next year to boost digital inclusion.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance they provide to national museums and galleries about the copyright status of exact digital reproductions of two-dimensional artworks that are in the public domain.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

According to case law, a work will only be protected by copyright if it is original, in the sense that is the author’s ‘own intellectual creation’. It is questionable whether an unaltered reproduction of an existing work where copyright has expired could satisfy this criterion if there has been no (or very limited) scope for the creator to exercise free creative choices. However, this will depend on the individual facts of the case.

Further guidance is published on GOV.UK in an Intellectual Property Office copyright notice on digital images, photographs and the internet.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how national museums and galleries treat the copyright status of exact digital reproductions of two-dimensional artworks that are in the public domain.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

According to case law, a work will only be protected by copyright if it is original, in the sense that is the author’s ‘own intellectual creation’. It is questionable whether an unaltered reproduction of an existing work where copyright has expired could satisfy this criterion if there has been no (or very limited) scope for the creator to exercise free creative choices. However, this will depend on the individual facts of the case.

The Government has made no assessment of how cultural heritage institutions treat the copyright status of such reproductions in practice.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on jobs in life sciences and access to new medicines of Merck's decision to cancel a planned £1 billion expansion of its UK operations.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The decision by Merck, or MSD, not to progress its investment, is part of a broader effort by MSD to optimise its resources. It announced in July that it would cut $3 billion per year by 2027 and that 6,000 jobs would go worldwide. MSD continues to employ over 1,600 staff in the UK across other operations, including more than 40 collaborative working agreements with the NHS, the Our Future Health project and UK clinical trials. This decision will not impact UK access to new medicines.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard to page 79 of the Chronic Risks Analysis, published by the Cabinet Office on 8 July, why the information about the Equality Act 2010 references gender rather than sex.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Chronic Risk Analysis (CRA) is a collaboration between Cabinet Office and the Government Office for Science.

The text in the report sets out some of the protected characteristics covered by the Equalities Act and notes the potential impact on these through bias and discrimination. The drafting could be improved by explicitly listing all 9 characteristics. This will be amended in any future publications of the analysis.

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Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, for what purposes their Department has used artificial intelligence in the last year.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DCMS follows the UK Government’s AI Playbook principles on safe, effective and responsible adoption of AI, and works closely with DSIT as the “Digital centre of government”.

Any use of third party AI tooling is subject to multidisciplinary assurance prior to any use, including Cyber security, Data Protection, Knowledge and Information Management, and Technology assurance.

DCMS is in its early days in terms of AI usage and measuring benefits to productivity. In the past year the Department has used AI for the following:

• Summarising large documents and emails

• Analysis of large documents, drawing out key information and drafting reports

• Drafting meeting notes

• Generating draft content

• Enhancing our departmental data science capability

• Proof of concept of using AI large language models (LLMs) to analyse free text responses to a public consultation

AI produced data or drafts are manually reviewed. No decisions are made by the Department based on AI outputs, without manual checks and manual intervention.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the project "Context, Value, and Decision Making From Synapses To Circuits", outlined in the Non-technical summaries for project licences granted April – June 2025 under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, published on 11 July, what assessment they have made of mice being given psychostimulant rewards, including cocaine and amphetamine; and how this is expected to benefit human beings, animals or the environment.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

Every project application to use animals in science is subject to a robust and rigorous harm benefit assessment by a trained Home Office Inspector whom is a member of either the veterinary or medical profession. This ensures that any harm that may be caused to the animals is justified by the likely expected benefits for humans, animals or the environment. This project is researching basic neuroscience. The research aims to inform fundamental understanding of how neural networks work in healthy adults, and how this is altered by experience during adolescence.

Applications for animal research must conform with all legal requirements set out in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. This includes, applying the principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement).

The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) is engaging with stakeholders to finalise a strategy to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternatives to animal testing which is scheduled for publication later this year.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of levels of digital connectivity on farmer's ability to use animal health monitoring systems.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra continues to work closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) on connectivity issues facing the rural and farming communities. DSIT’s Shared Rural Network has already delivered 4G coverage to over 95% of UK landmass, enabling rural businesses and communities to thrive. However, there are still rural parts of the UK where there is either limited or no mobile coverage, and DSIT will continue to work with the industry to deliver new coverage to these communities. This Government wants to ensure there is high quality mobile connectivity across the UK, including in rural areas. This is why our ambition is for all populated areas to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030.

Furthermore, to improve connectivity in rural areas, Project Gigabit is the Government’s programme to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans. This includes farms and other rural businesses. The improved broadband connectivity delivered through Project Gigabit will benefit the farming community through boosting productivity, optimising farming processes, monitoring livestock and improving communications with consumers and suppliers.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of farmers being unable to reliably report accidents due to poor broadband or mobile signal on safety in rural areas.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra continues to work closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) on connectivity issues facing the rural and farming communities.

DSIT’s Shared Rural Network has already delivered 4G coverage to over 95% of UK landmass, enabling rural businesses and communities to thrive.

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