Department for Science, Innovation & Technology Alert Sample


Alert Sample

View the Parallel Parliament page for the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

Information between 18th July 2026 - 28th July 2026

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Parliamentary Debates
EU Technological Sovereignty Package
21 speeches (1,303 words)
Monday 20th July 2026 - Lords Chamber
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
AI: International Co-operation
21 speeches (1,481 words)
Wednesday 22nd July 2026 - Lords Chamber
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Digital and Technology Policy: National Sovereignty
44 speeches (18,949 words)
Thursday 23rd July 2026 - Lords Chamber
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology


Written Answers
Artificial Intelligence
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Monday 20th July 2026

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether (a) her Department and (b) its Arm’s Length Bodies have financially supported the development of any technical solutions to protect the creative industries from unauthorised AI scraping.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

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.

Data Protection: Age Assurance
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Monday 20th July 2026

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to Answer of 7 July 2026 to Question 14208, what guidance her Department has issued on the maximum period for which personal data collected for age assurance purposes should be retained.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

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.

Data Protection: Age Assurance
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Monday 20th July 2026

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 personal data retained by age-assurance providers on levels of a) cyber attacks and b) data breaches.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

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.

Artificial Intelligence: Legislation
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Monday 20th July 2026

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 effectiveness of a) the US Cloud Act and b) the EU AI Act; and whether she has plans to bring forward similar legislation.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and 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.

Telecommunications: Codes of Practice
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Monday 20th July 2026

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what industry submissions on cost were received during the consultation on the revised Telecommunications Security Code of Practice 2026; and whether they will publish that underlying data.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Social Media: Animal Welfare
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Monday 20th July 2026

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 regulated online platforms on preventing the spread of social media trends that encourage acts of animal cruelty.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

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.

Social Media: Animal Welfare
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Monday 20th July 2026

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 prevalence of social media trends that encourage acts of animal cruelty.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

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.

Innovation and Technology: Obesity
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Monday 20th July 2026

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2026 to Question 15321 on Innovation and Technology: Obesity, whether the evaluation activity will be independent of Eli Lilly and Company; whether it will include control groups, randomisation or other comparative evaluation methods; and whether the results will be published.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

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.

Innovation: Investment
Asked by: Maya Ellis (Labour - Ribble Valley)
Monday 20th July 2026

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to support locally led innovation investment in a) Ribble Valley constituency and b) Lancashire.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

Through the Lancashire Devolution Deal, the Government is providing up to £20 million in capital funding during the current Spending Review period to support innovation-led growth across Lancashire, including assets to maximise the benefits of the National Cyber Force Headquarters at Samlesbury, which lies within Ribble Valley constituency.

UKRI funding for Lancashire increased from £97 million in 2022–23 to £107 million in 2023–24, demonstrating continued investment in the region's research and innovation strengths.

Cybersecurity: Recruitment and Labour Turnover
Asked by: Gordon McKee (Labour - Glasgow South)
Monday 20th July 2026

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to help improve the recruitment and retention of cybersecurity specialists.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

To improve the recruitment and retention of cyber security professionals across Government, DSIT launched the Government Cyber Profession in February 2026. The profession will introduce a competitive total employee offer, establish a dedicated Cyber Recruitment Hub to streamline recruitment, and create a clear career framework aligned with UK Cyber Security Council professional standards. This will directly address our cyber skills gaps, increase access to and help retain talent, establish cross-government standards, and provide learning and development programmes.

At the national level, the £200 million TechFirst programme is building the UK's domestic cyber talent pipeline, complemented by the UK Cyber Security Council's professional standards which support recruitment and retention across industry.

Graduates: Employment
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Monday 20th July 2026

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of artificial intelligence on the availability of graduate training and entry-level professional roles.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

AI will transform workplaces, demanding new skills and augmenting existing roles. To prepare for this the AI and the Future of Work Unit was set up, as a cross‑government function designed to help ensure 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. DSIT also published a snapshot of entry-level hiring in the UK last month partnering with LinkedIn. This found that whilst entry level hiring is weak it is broadly in line with the wider labour market. There are certain roles where AI tools have become more capable in recent years, and where entry level hiring is weakening. While this data is consistent with AI having an impact on entry-level hiring, this should not be considered causal evidence.

To further increase government’s capability to assess these impacts and inform relevant policy, we are establishing a new AI Economics Institute incorporating the functions of the Future of Work Unit. We have also launched the Early Careers Job Alliance to map how entry-level work is changing, producing practical help for businesses on how to redesign roles while maintaining entry-level pathways, and identifying early examples of good practice.

Copernicus Programme and Horizon Europe: Costs
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Monday 20th July 2026

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the cost to the public purse of participation in (a) Horizon and (b) Copernicus is, in (i) 2025-26 and (ii) 2026-27.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The UK contributes around £2 billion per year to Horizon Europe, providing UK businesses and researchers with access to curiosity driven research funding, world-class collaborations, and opportunities to grow and scale up their innovations. The UK's association agreement includes a mechanism under which the UK would be compensated if UK researchers and innovators receive significantly less funding from the programme than the UK contributes.

The UK's current annual contribution to participate in Copernicus is approximately £130 million per annum, which is tied to annual Gross Domestic Product metrics. This contribution provides UK users with access to Copernicus Earth observation data and services, and enables UK organisations to compete for industrial contracts to develop and operate the system and create value-added products and services.

Research: Disclosure of Information
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Monday 20th July 2026

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Areas of Research interest gov.uk page published by the Government Office for Science, what plans she has to update her Department's area of research interests, last published in February 2024.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is currently undertaking a refresh of its Areas of Research Interest (ARIs). The work is being led by the Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser’s Office, and the updated ARIs are expected to be published on GOV.UK by autumn 2026.

Government Departments: Digital Service Providers
Asked by: Gordon McKee (Labour - Glasgow South)
Monday 20th July 2026

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 operational and national-security risks arising from government departments deploying a small number of cloud-service providers.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The State of Digital Government Review, published in January 2025, highlighted that concentrating workloads on a limited number of suppliers creates systemic concentration risks. The National Risk Register 2026, published on 14 July, further identifies disruption to third-party suppliers and digital infrastructure as a significant resilience risk.

Existing Government cyber policy and technology frameworks already support a range of resilience measures to tackle this, by requiring departments to assess security, resilience and business continuity risks when procuring and operating cloud.

The Government's Cloud First policy encourages organisations to consider all suitable suppliers and supports competition in cloud procurement, while the Multi‑Region Cloud Policy promotes deployment across multiple regions to improve resilience. Public procurement seeks to maintain a diverse supplier base, while the Competition and Markets Authority is independently examining competition in the UK cloud market.

Alongside this, Government is tackling these risks through the implementation of the Government Cyber Action Plan, which sets out our approach to enhancing cyber security and resilience across the public sector, including through enhanced cyber assurance and oversight.

Children and Young People: Social Media
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Peterborough (Bishops - Bishops)
Monday 20th July 2026

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of social media use on loneliness and social isolation among children and young people.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Crime and Policing Act 2026
Asked by: Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge (Conservative - Life peer)
Monday 20th July 2026

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government when section 100 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 pertaining to the 48-hour take-down requirement for intimate image content will commence.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Smart Devices: Data Protection and National Security
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Monday 20th July 2026

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 (a) potential impact of the use of Cellular Internet of Things modules in consumer products, including internet-connected vaping devices, on national security and (b) risk of interception, unauthorised access and transfer of data transmitted by such devices.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

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.

Ofcom: Women
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Monday 20th July 2026

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps Ofcom is taking to implement the Supreme Court judgment in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

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.

AI Growth Zones
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Monday 20th July 2026

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the feasibility of delivering the proposed Artificial Intelligence Growth Zones by 2030.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Employment: Artificial Intelligence
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Monday 20th July 2026

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of artificial intelligence on employment in occupations with high exposure to generative artificial intelligence.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Smart Devices: China
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Monday 20th July 2026

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the (a) National Cyber Security Centre and (b) National Security Unit for Procurement have provided advice to (i) Ministers and (ii) officials on risks associated with the use of Chinese-manufactured Cellular Internet of Things modules in consumer products, including internet-connected vaping devices.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

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.

Artificial Intelligence: Automation
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Monday 20th July 2026

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of artificial intelligence-driven automation for working hours in sectors affected by significant technological change.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Technology: Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Monday 20th July 2026

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the contribution of investment by artificial intelligence and cyber security companies to the UK technology sector.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Digital Technology: Older People
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Monday 20th July 2026

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 trends in the level of digital exclusion among older people.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

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.

Animal Experiments
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Monday 20th July 2026

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment have they made of the 45 per cent increase in scientific procedures using horses from 2015 to 2025, set out in the Annual statistics of scientific procedures on living animals, Great Britain 2025; and what steps they are taking to replace the use of horses in science with human specific technologies.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham

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.



Bill Documents
Jul. 23 2026
HL Bill 32 Running list of amendments – 23 July 2026
Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill 2024-26
Amendment Paper
Jul. 22 2026
HL Bill 32 Running list of amendments – 22 July 2026
Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill 2024-26
Amendment Paper


Department Publications - Transparency
Monday 20th July 2026
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Source Page: Premises contracted and built, Project Gigabit contracts
Document: Premises contracted and built, Project Gigabit contracts (webpage)
Tuesday 21st July 2026
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Source Page: DSIT: workforce management information, June 2026
Document: View online (webpage)
Tuesday 21st July 2026
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Source Page: DSIT: workforce management information, June 2026
Document: (webpage)
Tuesday 21st July 2026
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Source Page: DSIT: workforce management information, June 2026
Document: DSIT: workforce management information, June 2026 (webpage)


Department Publications - Statistics
Thursday 18th June 2026
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Source Page: UK Business Data Survey 2026
Document: UK Business Data Survey 2026 (webpage)
Wednesday 17th June 2026
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Source Page: Shaping Tomorrow: the UK's Digital Standards Strategy (2026 to 2030)
Document: Shaping Tomorrow: the UK's Digital Standards Strategy (2026 to 2030) (webpage)


Department Publications - Guidance
Tuesday 21st July 2026
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Source Page: TechFirst
Document: TechFirst (webpage)
Tuesday 21st July 2026
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Source Page: TechLocal
Document: TechLocal (webpage)
Tuesday 21st July 2026
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Source Page: TechExpert
Document: TechExpert (webpage)
Wednesday 22nd July 2026
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Source Page: Women in Research Charter
Document: Women in Research Charter (webpage)
Wednesday 22nd July 2026
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Source Page: Consult: register your interest
Document: Consult: register your interest (webpage)
Wednesday 22nd July 2026
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Source Page: Consult: register your interest
Document: Consult: register your interest (webpage)


Department Publications - Policy paper
Tuesday 21st July 2026
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Source Page: Fixed Telecoms Modernisation Charter
Document: Fixed Telecoms Modernisation Charter (webpage)
Tuesday 21st July 2026
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Source Page: Telecoms Modernisation: Critical National Infrastructure Charter
Document: Telecoms Modernisation: Critical National Infrastructure Charter (webpage)
Friday 24th July 2026
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Source Page: Cyber Resilience Pledge - list of signatories
Document: Cyber Resilience Pledge - list of signatories (webpage)
Friday 24th July 2026
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Source Page: Cyber Resilience Pledge - list of signatories
Document: Cyber Resilience Pledge - list of signatories (webpage)


Department Publications - Policy and Engagement
Wednesday 15th July 2026
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Source Page: The marginal cost restriction on public sector data re-use: call for evidence
Document: The marginal cost restriction on public sector data re-use: call for evidence (webpage)
Wednesday 15th July 2026
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Source Page: Data regulation in the age of AI and other data‑intensive technologies
Document: Data regulation in the age of AI and other data‑intensive technologies (webpage)



Department for Science, Innovation & Technology mentioned

Live Transcript

Note: Cited speaker in live transcript data may not always be accurate. Check video link to confirm.

21 Jul 2026, 3:22 p.m. - House of Lords
" I welcome the creation of DSIT and the focus that it brought to science and technology, but with a very regrettable resignation of the noble Lord Vallance, who will be "
Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat) - View Video - View Transcript
21 Jul 2026, 3:23 p.m. - House of Lords
"government has made a decision that by having by having DSIT, having "
Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat) - View Video - View Transcript
21 Jul 2026, 3:24 p.m. - House of Lords
"Vallance. But more importantly, structurally, the abolition and fragmentation of DSIT means that "
Lord Waldegrave of North Hill (Conservative) - View Video - View Transcript
21 Jul 2026, 3:24 p.m. - House of Lords
"establishment of DSIT did that. And that is. And it's a very regrettable development, I think, "
Lord Waldegrave of North Hill (Conservative) - View Video - View Transcript
21 Jul 2026, 3:31 p.m. - House of Lords
" That Kanishka Narayan, who is a great Minister, has gone into the Cabinet, but it is obviously the Cabinet, but it is obviously the abolition of DSIT is a phenomenal waste of time and will take three months of civil services time when "
- View Video - View Transcript
23 Jul 2026, 12:52 p.m. - House of Lords
"abolition of DSIT is a huge error, considering the urgency this agenda "
Lord Vaizey of Didcot (Conservative) - View Video - View Transcript
23 Jul 2026, 1:11 p.m. - House of Lords
"place has has commented on it, but DSIT has not made any central assessments of what the US Cloud "
Lord Moraes (Labour) - View Video - View Transcript
23 Jul 2026, 1:13 p.m. - House of Lords
"were dismayed that DSIT is no more. "
Lord Holmes of Richmond (Conservative) - View Video - View Transcript


Parliamentary Debates
Department for Science, Information and Technology: Abolition
33 speeches (2,602 words)
Tuesday 21st July 2026 - Lords Chamber
Cabinet Office
Mentions:
1: Lord Clement-Jones (LD - Life peer) My Lords, many of us welcomed the creation of DSIT and the focus that it brought on science and technology - Link to Speech
2: Lord Waldegrave of North Hill (Con - Life peer) More importantly, structurally, there is the abolition and fragmentation of DSIT. - Link to Speech
3: Lord Vaizey of Didcot (Con - Life peer) Narayan, who is a great Minister, has gone into the Cabinet but it is obvious that the abolition of DSIT - Link to Speech



Select Committee Documents
Thursday 23rd July 2026
Special Report - 2nd Special Report - Resetting the relationship with fishing communities: Government Response

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Found: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT

Wednesday 22nd July 2026
Correspondence - Letter to the Secretary of State relating to recent changes to the machinery of government, 22 July 2026

Business and Trade Committee

Found: spending category (Resource DEL, Capital DEL, Resource AME, Capital AME) will DBIST inherit from DSIT

Wednesday 22nd July 2026
Special Report - 3rd Special Report - Higher Education and Funding: Threat of Insolvency and International Students: Government Response

Education Committee

Found: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has already acted alongside UKRI to improve

Monday 20th July 2026
Formal Minutes - Formal Minutes Session 2024-26

Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Found: Digital Economy and Online Safety, 18 December 2024 Big Brother Watch [SMH0043] Logically [SMH0049] DSIT

Monday 20th July 2026
Formal Minutes - EFRA Committe Formal Minutes 2024-6 Session

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Found: rural economy, dated 2 December 2025 Correspondence to the Secretary of State, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

Thursday 16th July 2026
Oral Evidence - Jess Phillips

Domestic Abuse Act 2021 - Domestic Abuse Act 2021 Committee

Found: with you: any policy around the online space sits quite uncomfortably between the Home Office and DSIT

Thursday 16th July 2026
Oral Evidence - Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Defence, and Ministry of Defence

Public Accounts Committee

Found: as a customer for SMEs and growing British companies, we are very happy to collaborate with DESNZ, DSIT

Tuesday 7th July 2026
Oral Evidence - Department for Business and Trade, and Department for Business and Trade

The work of the Department for Business and Trade - Business and Trade Committee

Found: In the work that I did at DSIT and have continued into DBT, with modernisation of the way we do business



Department Publications - Statistics
Monday 27th July 2026
Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
Source Page: Public procurement through VCSEs, 2019/20 to 2023/24
Document: (PDF)

Found: 20% £1m 8% Cabinet Office 9 33% £1m 12% DfT 21 23% £840k 5% HMRC 4 31% £502k 9% DCMS 5 14% £311k 11% DSIT



Department Publications - News and Communications
Monday 27th July 2026
Cabinet Office
Source Page: Machinery of Government changes: Fact Sheet
Document: Machinery of Government changes: Fact Sheet (webpage)

Found: across other departments:  The functions of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT

Monday 27th July 2026
Cabinet Office
Source Page: Machinery of Government changes: Fact Sheet
Document: Machinery of Government changes: Fact Sheet (webpage)

Found: across other departments:  The functions of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT

Monday 27th July 2026
Cabinet Office
Source Page: Machinery of Government changes: Fact Sheet
Document: Machinery of Government changes: Fact Sheet (webpage)

Found: across other departments:  The functions of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT

Friday 24th July 2026
Cabinet Office
Source Page: AI to power change at the heart of government as Lord Vallance appointed chair of new PM AI Taskforce
Document: AI to power change at the heart of government as Lord Vallance appointed chair of new PM AI Taskforce (webpage)

Found: Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT



Department Publications - Transparency
Friday 24th July 2026
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Source Page: Defra: spending over £500, February 2026
Document: View online (webpage)

Found:

04/02/2026 DSIT



Department Publications - Policy and Engagement
Thursday 23rd July 2026
HM Treasury
Source Page: Treasury Minutes – July 2026
Document: (PDF)

Found: PAC recommendation: Within three months DSIT should prepare a lessons- learned paper identifying how

Thursday 23rd July 2026
HM Treasury
Source Page: Treasury Minutes – July 2026
Document: (PDF)

Found: PAC recommendation: Within three months DSIT should prepare a lessons- learned paper identifying how

Thursday 23rd July 2026
HM Treasury
Source Page: Treasury Minutes – July 2026
Document: (PDF)

Found: PAC recommendation: Within three months DSIT should prepare a lessons- learned paper identifying how

Thursday 23rd July 2026
HM Treasury
Source Page: Treasury Minutes – July 2026
Document: (PDF)

Found: PAC recommendation: Within three months DSIT should prepare a lessons- learned paper identifying how



Department Publications - Guidance
Wednesday 22nd July 2026
Cabinet Office
Source Page: Guidance for civil servants: How to move jobs between departments and agencies
Document: (Excel)

Found: Address details - Only complete for transfers into DSIT (including GO-Science) and DESNZ (including Integrated



Department Publications - Research
Thursday 16th July 2026
HM Treasury
Source Page: Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2026
Document: (PDF)

Found: was transferred from the Cabinet Office to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT



Non-Departmental Publications - Guidance and Regulation
Jul. 27 2026
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
Source Page: AI Airlock Sandbox Phase 2 Programme Report
Document: (PDF)
Guidance and Regulation

Found: CPRD), government representatives such as DHSC, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT



Non-Departmental Publications - Transparency
Jul. 27 2026
HM Revenue & Customs
Source Page: HMRC Transformation Roadmap — Progress Update 2026
Document: (PDF)
Transparency

Found: priorities ● working in partnership with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT

Jul. 24 2026
Oil and Gas Authority
Source Page: OGA/NSTA annual report and accounts, 2025 to 2026
Document: (PDF)
Transparency

Found: During the period, funding was received from Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT



Non-Departmental Publications - Statistics
Jul. 23 2026
Migration Advisory Committee
Source Page: Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report
Document: (PDF)
Statistics

Found: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), for example, provided additional Jobs



Deposited Papers
Monday 27th July 2026

Source Page: Letter dated 14/07/2026 from Kanishka Narayan MP to MPs regarding the Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill report: questions raised by members at report stage: why the food sector is not included in the scope of the bill, internet-of-things modules - assessment of threat, and protections in the legislation. 2p.
Document: 2026_07_20_Minister_Narayan_CSRB.pdf (PDF)

Found: Narayan MP Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for AI and Online Safety Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

Monday 27th July 2026

Source Page: Letter dated 20/07/2026 from Ian Murray MP to Freddie van Mierlo MP regarding a point of order concerning comments on Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) funding made during an answer to a question on funding of astronomy and space science. 2p.
Document: Point_of_Order_Minister_Murray.pdf (PDF)

Found: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 22-26 Whitehall London SW1A 2EG www.gov.uk/dsit

Friday 24th July 2026

Source Page: Letter dated 17/07/2026 from Liz Kendall MP to Amanda Hack MP regarding the provision of free education resources in the light of the ban on social media companies providing their services to under 16s, as discussed during the Oral Statement on Social Media Ban for Under-16s. 1p.
Document: 170726_DSIT_SoS_Letter_to_Amanda_Hack_MP.pdf (PDF)

Found: of State for Science, Innovation and Technology 22-26 Whitehall London SW1A 2EG www.gov.uk/dsit

Friday 24th July 2026

Source Page: Letter dated 17/07/2026 from Liz Kendall MP to Jeremy Wright MP regarding the duty on platforms to carry out a children’s risk assessment for those under 16s, as discussed during the Oral Statement on Social Media Ban for Under-16s. 1p.
Document: 170726_DSIT_SoS_Letter_to_Sir_Jeremy_Wright_MP.pdf (PDF)

Found: of State for Science, Innovation and Technology 22-26 Whitehall London SW1A 2EG www.gov.uk/dsit

Friday 24th July 2026

Source Page: Letter dated 17/07/2026 from Liz Kendall MP to Kit Malthouse MP regarding the design of content that remains on mainstream entertainment for children, as discussed during the Oral Statement on Social Media Ban for Under-16s. 1p.
Document: 170726_DSIT_SoS_Letter_to_Kit_Malthouse_MP.pdf (PDF)

Found: of State for Science, Innovation and Technology 22-26 Whitehall London SW1A 2EG www.gov.uk/dsit

Friday 24th July 2026
Cabinet Office
Source Page: I. The UK Government Resilience Action Plan: 2026. Implementation report. 22p. II. The National Risk Register and supporting guidance. 25p. III. National Risk Register 2026. 223p. IV. Letter dated 14/07/2026 from Darren Jones MP to the Deposited Papers Clerk regarding the two documents for deposit in the House libraries. 1p.
Document: National_Risk_Register_2026.pdf (PDF)

Found: is underpinned by the Cabinet Office Cyber Incident Management Plan in conjunction with NCSC and DSIT

Monday 20th July 2026

Source Page: I. Digital verification services. 2026 annual report on the operation of Part 2 of Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. 28p. II. Letter dates 14/07/2026 from Ian Murray MP to Chi Onwurah MP and Baroness Keeley regarding publication of the annual report. 1p.
Document: CDC_Letter_2026_Annual_Report_Part_2_DUAA.pdf (PDF)

Found: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 22-26 Whitehall London SW1A 2EG W: www.gov.uk/dsit

Monday 20th July 2026

Source Page: I. Digital verification services. 2026 annual report on the operation of Part 2 of Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. 28p. II. Letter dates 14/07/2026 from Ian Murray MP to Chi Onwurah MP and Baroness Keeley regarding publication of the annual report. 1p.
Document: SITC_Letter_2026_Annual_Report_Part_2_DUAA.pdf (PDF)

Found: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 22-26 Whitehall London SW1A 2EG W: www.gov.uk/dsit

Monday 20th July 2026
Department for Work and Pensions
Source Page: British Sign Language (BSL) fourth report 2026. Incl. Annex. 20p.
Document: British_Sign_Language_fourth_report.pdf (PDF)

Found: ................................ 13 4.16 Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT

Monday 20th July 2026
Cabinet Office
Source Page: Model action plan for responding to significant data breaches. 12p.
Document: Model_Action_Plan_for_Responding_to_Significant_Data_Breaches.pdf (PDF)

Found: All incidents which are reported to the ICO must also be reported to DSIT and GSG.




Department for Science, Innovation & Technology mentioned in Scottish results


Scottish Government Publications
Friday 24th July 2026

Source Page: Documentation held by the Scottish Government relating to Scottish Spaceports: FOI release
Document: FOI 202600502400 - Information released - Annex A (PDF)

Found: DSIT received the exact same FOI in June 2025.

Wednesday 22nd July 2026
Energy and Climate Change Directorate
Source Page: Confirmation and Records of Geoengineering and Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) activities over Scotland: EIR release
Document: Confirmation and Records of Geoengineering and Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) activities over Scotland: EIR release (webpage)

Found: weather modification in, over, or affecting Scotland;b) communications with the UK Government, MoD, DSIT

Tuesday 21st July 2026
Digital Directorate
Source Page: Project Gigabit In Scotland Lot 5 information: FOI release
Document: Project Gigabit In Scotland Lot 5 information: FOI release (webpage)

Found: governed by Building Digital UK (BDUK) - part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT