Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 58921 on Innovate UK: Northern Ireland, how Innovate UK’s regional support advisors in Northern Ireland promote the availability of Innovation Funding Services in Northern Ireland to small firms that previously had no contact with Innovate UK.

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

Innovate UK actively promotes its products and services to Northern Ireland businesses to improve their access to innovation funding and resources and foster growth within the region’s innovation ecosystem. It does this through a variety of channels. These include Innovate Local events, joint webinars with Invest NI, and participation in Enterprise NI’s finance series. Innovate UK competitions are also promoted on nibusinessinfo.co.uk by Invest NI. The programmes they promote are an important source of support for businesses in Northern Ireland. For example, Innovate UK Business Growth has supported 339 businesses over three years, while the ‘New Innovators’ funding program, which is only available to businesses without prior Innovate UK engagement, has provided £1 million to 23 small and micro businesses since 2020.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to replace animal testing in the development of (a) monoclonal antibody therapies and (b) other drugs with more effective human-specific methods.

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

Regulatory approval processes already permit human-specific methods for drug testing where humans are the only relevant pharmacological species and the drug’s mechanism of action is well-defined and clinical monitoring is in place. This can include monoclonal antibody (mAbs) therapies. Where animals are still required for mAb testing, the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) collaborates with industry and regulators to minimise their use. (https://nc3rs.org.uk/our-portfolio/re-evaluating-need-mab-chronic-toxicity-studies)

The Government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and adoption of alternatives later this year, including any targets to phase out specific animal testing.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Home Affairs on protecting (a) elderly and (b) vulnerable people against AI scams using deepfake content; and what steps he is taking to tackle such scams.

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

DSIT regularly engages with Home Office on ongoing efforts to protect users from online harms, including AI-generated scams. AI generated content is regulated by the Online Safety Act where it is shared on an in-scope service and constitutes either illegal content or content which is harmful to children.

In March this year the Act’s illegal harms duties came into force, with fraud captured as a priority offence. User-to-user services must take preventative measures to stop fraudulent content from appearing and swiftly remove it where it does. Search services must minimise fraudulent content from appearing in results. This includes AI generated deepfake scams.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of tax reliefs for research and development on economic growth.

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

The Secretary of State and the Chancellor of the Exchequer have regular discussions on a range of issues. Research and development (R&D) tax reliefs play a vital role in the Government’s mission to boost economic growth and drive innovation in the UK. Overall, R&D reliefs will support an estimated £56 billion of business R&D expenditure in 2029-30, roughly a 20 per cent increase from £47 billion in 2022/23.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many Sikhs are employed in his Department; and whether they are recorded as (a) an ethnic or (b) a religious group.

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

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology records Sikh or Sikhism, as a religion or belief and not as an ethnicity.

Please refer to Table A3 of the Civil Service Statistics 2024 where statistics on religion or belief by department as at 31 March 2024 are published: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-service-statistics-2024. This includes statistics on those recorded as ‘Sikh’.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many staff network events took place in his Department in May 2025; and what the names of those events were.

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

Staff networks are collaborative volunteer networks, organised by staff themselves rather than the department. As a result, events are organised by staff themselves, not the department. We are not aware of any events that these networks organised in May 2025.

There were two centrally co-ordinated staff network events in May 2025: the monthly meeting of the Department’s Staff Network Chairs, which was for network chairs only and lasted for one hour, and an online session with Staff Network Chairs to mark National Staff Network Day which was available to all staff to attend and also lasted for one hour.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he is taking steps (a) at the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use and (b) in other international regulatory forums to help increase the global (i) adoption and (ii) validation of human-specific technologies.

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

The Government is committed to the development of non-animal alternatives and will publish a strategy to support their development, validation and adoption later this year.

The Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) adopts guidelines published by the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH). The Government regularly engages with international regulators with a view to influencing guidance updates. Further details will be highlighted when the plan is published later this year.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the document by the Food and Drug Administration entitled Roadmap to Reducing Animal Testing in Preclinical Safety Studies, published on 10 April 2025, and the announcement by the National Institutes of Health on 29 April 2025 on animal testing.

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

The Government has reviewed the FDA roadmap and is engaging with the MHRA on how to accelerate the science-led adoption of alternatives to the use of animals for drug development and testing. The Government will publish a strategy later this year that will support this ambition and accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods across the biosciences.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the £1.3 billion in co-investment reported by UK Research and Innovation in the report Annual Report and Accounts 2023–24, published on 24 July 2024, was independently verified after project award.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

UKRI verifies co-investment commitments at several stages of the grant lifecycle. Verification processes are managed according to the terms and conditions of specific grant awards and vary depending on the size of the awards. For large co-investment commitments, UKRI engages third parties to conduct verification.

At the application stage, UKRI portfolio managers verify co-investment commitments as part of usual due diligence checks, with host research organisation also undertaking due diligence to confirm that information included in applications is accurate. For completed awards, grant holders are able to report actual co-investment values via the research outcomes process.

The co-investment figure of £1.3 billion provided in the 2023-24 UKRI Annual Report and Accounts reflects project partner contributions declared at the point of application.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need to regulate the artificial intelligence sector, and what assessment they have made of the potential risks of harm if such technology is left unregulated.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

AI is not unregulated in the UK. A range of existing rules already apply such as data protection, competition, equality legislation and other forms of sector regulation.

The vast majority of AI systems should be regulated at point of use by existing regulators. In response to the AI Action Plan, the Government committed to identifying capability needs for regulators to mitigate AI risks and drive growth. Advanced AI systems pose distinct opportunities and risks, and we are developing legislative proposals to allow us to safely realise the benefits of these systems. We will launch a public consultation in due course.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the development of artificial intelligence growth zones across the UK, and to ensure those zones are spread throughout the country.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The AI Opportunities Action Plan set out the governments ambition to deliver AI Growth Zones (AIGZs) to accelerate the development and deployment of large-scale AI infrastructure. These zones will fast-track planning processes and unlock access to critical energy and land resources.

Following an Expressions of Interest exercise earlier this year, the government has now launched a formal qualification process to identify suitable AIGZs. The government is working closely with devolved governments and local authorities to progress potential AI Growth Zones across the country.

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 replacing landlines with digital voice services in areas with (a) poor mobile signal and (b) unreliable broadband in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to ensuring that any risks arising from the industry-led migration of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for all customers across the UK. VoIP requires a minimum connection speed of just 0.5Mbps, and for current landline-only customers it will be possible to order a VoIP landline without purchasing a general internet connection. In November 2024, all major communication providers agreed to additional safeguards to protect vulnerable customers, including those who are landline-dependent due to poor mobile coverage.

We are committed to ensuring at least 99% of premises receive gigabit broadband coverage, which we expect to happen by 2032. More than 99% of UK premises, and more than 95% of the UK’s landmass, have 4G coverage from at least one mobile operator. Our ambition is for all populated areas, including the Surrey Heath constituency, to have higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030. We are committed to having the right policy and regulatory framework to support this.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage the development of artificial intelligence in the UK and to ensure that the sector retains a strong base in the UK.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Prime Minister launched the AI Opportunities Action Plan in January. It sets out 50 far reaching actions needed to drive up the development and deployment of AI. Government accepted all 50 recommendations.

Progress has been made across a range of actions, including holding the first AI Energy Council meeting, signing an MOU with Anthropic, and opening the formal AI Growth Zone application process. The Spending Review 2025 will further cement the UK’s leadership in AI, driving economic growth and fostering a safer, healthier, and more prosperous society.

The Government is driving forward AI development and adoption through the AI Opportunities Action Plan - taking decisive steps to position the UK as a global AI maker, not just a taker.

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 help phase out the use of animals for antibody production.

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

The Government is committed to the development of non-animal alternatives and will publish a strategy to support their development, validation and adoption later this year.

The Government-funded National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) has a collaborative programme of work investigating accelerating the adoption of non-animal derived antibodies and resources to support researchers to adopt these technologies.

Further steps supporting alternative methods, including any targets to phase out specific applications of animal testing, will be outlined in the upcoming strategy.

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 adequacy of (a) broadband and (b) mobile phone connectivity in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

We are committed to ensuring at least 99% of premises can access a gigabit capable connection by 2032, and we are working to achieve this in the Surrey Heath constituency through a Project Gigabit contract with Openreach. The independent website Thinkbroadband.com reports over 86% of premises in Surrey Heath constituency have access to gigabit-capable broadband.

Ofcom reports that 4G geographic coverage is available across 97% of Surrey Heath from all four mobile operators, with 5G available outside 96% of premises from at least one operator.

I am aware that Ofcom’s reporting of mobile coverage does not always reflect consumers’ experience of mobile networks. Ofcom’s improved online coverage checker will go live shortly and will provide data at a higher coverage threshold to better reflect lived experience.

Our ambition is for all populated areas to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030, and we continue to work with industry to deliver this.

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 ensure broadband providers treat residents equitably when determining property eligibility during fibre rollout programmes in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Openreach is delivering a Project Gigabit contract across Surrey, targeted at bringing gigabit-capable broadband to homes and businesses in hard-to-reach areas, including approximately 1,900 premises in the Surrey Heath constituency.

As with all Project Gigabit contracts, Building Digital UK (BDUK) collected and analysed information from commercial suppliers about their completed and planned broadband infrastructure in order to identify which premises in Surrey required public subsidy to receive a gigabit-capable connection.

Our Project Gigabit contracts, including the contract for Surrey, target premises which would not normally be commercially viable for suppliers to connect.

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 dogs in (a) scientific and (b) regulatory procedures and replace them with human-specific technologies.

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

The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal.

The Government will publish a strategy later this year to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, which will set out clear objectives and measurable milestones. Any work to phase out animal testing, including the use of dogs in scientific and regulatory procedures, must be science-led and in lock step with partners including regulators.

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 improve resilience to cyberattacks on public services.

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

The Prime Minister announced on 3 June 2025 that responsibility for government and public sector cyber security moved from the Cabinet Office to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to strengthen the resilience of digital public services by better integrating cyber security responsibilities and expertise into the Government Digital Service.

The government is progressing work on an implementation plan to support the delivery of the Government Cyber Security Strategy and is developing a new, more interventionist operating model to clarify, enable, and enforce cross-government responsibilities for cyber and digital resilience.

Additionally, important steps have been taken to understand and mitigate cyber risk through the launch of the GovAssure cyber assurance regime and the Government Cyber Coordination Centre (GC3).

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact on operational trust when non‑deterministic AI models produce different outputs from identical inputs.

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

The government recognises the importance of operational trust in AI systems. DSIT is building confidence in and driving adoption of AI by supporting a growing, competitive, and dynamic AI assurance ecosystem.

By providing ways to measure, evaluate, and communicate the trustworthiness of AI systems, AI assurance can increase confidence in AI systems, support AI adoption, and boost economic growth.

We have also placed a renewed focus on skills, recently announcing a joint commitment with industry to provide 7.5 million workers with fundamental AI skills. Equipping workers with these skills will also help build operational trust in AI systems, building understanding as to when a model is working as intended, even where different outputs are produced from identical inputs.

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 resilience of the UK’s digital economy in the event of disruption to undersea data cables.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government recognises the critical role of undersea data cables in the UK’s digital economy. Individual subsea cables can be vulnerable to disruption. There is an average of 12 breaks a year from fishing, anchor drag, landslides and other causes. Most breaks have minimal impact on digital services due to resilience in the UK network. The UK has a large number of cables relative to other island nations. They are also geographically dispersed so data can be rerouted in the event of most disruptions. However, DSIT lead work on emergency preparedness and response in the event of a serious incident, as described in the National Risk Register.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps is Ofcom taking to ensure telecommunications providers adhere to the Electronic Communications Code on the visual impact of broadband infrastructure.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003 include a requirement for operators to minimise the impact on the visual amenity of properties as far as reasonably practicable when installing apparatus. It is Ofcom’s role as an independent regulator to investigate any complaints from local planning authorities about telegraph poles sited in a way which is not consistent with these requirements. Ofcom has in the past opened investigations into whether specific operators have failed to comply with their obligations when installing apparatus. These can be found on Ofcom’s enforcement page here: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/enforcement.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the 2020 EU Reference Laboratory for alternatives to animal testing's recommendation on non-animal derived antibodies.

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

The Government-funded National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals In Research is leading work to accelerate uptake of non-animal derived antibodies (NADA), in collaboration with members of the EU Reference Laboratory Committee for animal testing alternatives that developed the NADA recommendation. In 2021, in response to the recommendation, the Animals in Science Committee reviewed antibody licence applications to assess how 3Rs are being implemented.

The Government will publish a strategy later this year to support the development, validation, and adoption of alternative methods, which will set out any targets to phase out specific uses of animal testing.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many data breaches have been recorded in Government departments in the last 12 months.

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

The Government does not record or monitor data breaches across government departments centrally.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what mechanisms are in place to ensure (a) reproducibility and (b) accountability when AI is used in cross-government digital services.

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

The AI Playbook discusses accountability requirements for the use of AI in the public sector, emphasising human validation for high-risk decisions and user-reporting channels for oversight. Transparency is mandated through the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS), requiring public disclosure of algorithms in decision-making, with contestability mechanisms for appeals and redress.

The Playbook and Magenta Book stress considering reproducibility and scalability from project inception, supported by rigorous evaluation and quality assurance. The AI Community fosters collaboration across government to prevent duplicated efforts, while the AI Knowledge Hub’ collection of AI use cases supports reproducibility and scalability of projects through shared learning and best practices.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has issued guidance to government Departments on the (a) procurement and (b) use of non-deterministic AI models in public service delivery.

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

DSIT has issued detailed guidance via the AI Playbook for the UK Government on both (a) procurement and (b) use of AI, including forms of non-deterministic AI such as Generative AI.

The Buying AI section outlines best practices on engaging commercial teams, specifying requirements, and aligning procurement with ethics and regulation.

The Playbook stresses that such AI systems produce probabilistic, non-deterministic outputs and require continuous monitoring, ethical safeguards, and clear understanding of their limitations. It provides guidance on managing the risks of generative AI—including hallucination, bias, and misinformation—while emphasising human oversight, data protection, and responsible deployment.

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 help tackle the emergence of deepfake videos depicting government ministers; and whether the forthcoming legislation on deepfakes will include specific provisions to protect public figures from impersonation and misinformation online.

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

The Government takes the threat posed by harmful deepfakes very seriously. Deepfakes, and other manipulated media, are regulated by the Online Safety Act where they are shared on an in-scope service and constitute either illegal content or content which is harmful to children. For the largest user-to-user services, AI generated content is captured where it contravenes terms of service. The Data (Use and Access) Act, which received Royal Ascent on 19 June, introduces a new offence for the non-consensual creation of sexually explicit deepfakes. It is already a criminal offence to share, or threaten to share, such content without consent.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the legal framework governing the role of automation in public decision-making, and if not why; and what assessment they have made of whether people subject to decisions by public bodies should be informed if decisions have been taken, in whole or in part, using automated decision-making mechanisms.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The government is committed to the safe and ethical adoption of AI, including automated decision-making (ADM). We offer relevant guidance in, for example, the AI Playbook. Additionally, government has been working with the Information Commissioner’s Office to explore responsible adoption of ADM.

Given ADM-related changes in the Data (Use and Access) Act, which have widened the circumstances in which ADM can be used but only with stringent safeguards, it is not the most appropriate time for government to review the legal framework governing automation in public decision-making. We will first implement and observe the impact of our reforms.

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 improve public sector delivery with (a) technologies and (b) AI.

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

We are taking significant steps to improve and modernise public sector delivery with (a) technology and (b) Artificial Intelligence (AI).

(a) Our "Cloud First" policy mandates that departments default to public cloud solutions, whilst the National Digital Exchange (NDX) Cloud Component acts as a blueprint for transforming government digital and data services. Additionally, the Digital Backbone aims to introduce the capabilities needed to connect fragmented services and allow public bodies to share software solutions. These initiatives will enhance efficiency and reduce duplication, saving time and reducing spend.

(b) We recognise the transformative potential of AI. We carried out a landmark AI trial involving 20,000 Civil Servants across 12 departments to assess the productivity of M365 Copilot, which found that civil servants can save on average 26 minutes per day (circa two weeks annually) using AI assistants. Furthermore, the Incubator for AI (i.AI) works to explore and develop AI solutions for the public sector.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will list the (a) project titles, (b) amount awarded, (c) date of award and (d) recipients of UKRI funding since 5 July 2024.

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

The Gateway to Research (GtR) website https://gtr.ukri.org/ has been developed by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to enable users to search for and analyse information about funded research and innovation.

GtR publishes award data quarterly, and the website is open and free for all to use, and has been developed using open source, open standards and an Open Government Licence (OGL) to enable the code to be reused by third parties.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether civil servants receive (a) training and (b) guidance on managing the risks of non-deterministic outputs in AI-assisted decision-making.

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

DSIT has provided civil servants with both training and guidance on managing the risks of AI, including non-deterministic models such as LLMs. Training includes over 70 free courses on AI fundamentals, ethics, machine learning and generative AI, available through Civil Service Learning and the Government Campus. These emphasise critical evaluation of AI outputs and awareness of risks like bias and hallucination. The AI Playbook for the UK Government outlines principles for managing risks, accuracy, bias, hallucinations, and security threats. Civil servants are advised to apply human oversight and robust testing to ensure responsible use of AI and always adhere to the Model of Responsible Innovation.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 20 May (HL7143), how much they spent in total each year since 2019–20 on (1) digital systems delivered from public cloud, and (2) the entire digital systems estate.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The historical data requested is not held centrally, however the State of Digital Government report, published in January 2025, confirms that the UK public sector spends over £26bn annually on digital technology. Additionally, GDS is currently working with public sector organisations to understand their annual spend on public cloud services.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 10 April (HL6032), what estimate they have made of the annual cost of the AI Regulation Body.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

We are considering range of options to ensure we have the right institutional architecture for AI governance. As such, we are unable to provide an estimate of cost until policy development has been finalised.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 20 May (HL7143), whether the Government Digital Service has guidance and policies on cost-effectiveness and value-for-money achieved by reporting departments.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

GDS publishes policy and guidance, including the Technology Code of Practice, Cloud First Policy, and Government Service Standard that departments must adhere to and that support cost-effectiveness and value for money objectives. Where departmental submissions are not deemed cost-effective or value for money GDS can halt further progression using the digital spend controls process that is required for all citizen-facing digital services with a value of more than £100,000, and all technology spend with a value in excess of £1 million.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the development of artificial intelligence supercomputers to encourage increased investment in artificial intelligence in the UK.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

As outlined in the AI Opportunities Action Plan the Government committed to increase the UK’s AI compute capacity by twentyfold by 2030. At the Spending Review, we committed £1 billion to deliver this expansion, positioning the UK as a leader in high-performance AI computing, driving global innovation and scientific discovery. This will build on the capacity coming online this summer through the initial phase of the AI Research Resource, which is made up of 6,500 state of the art AI chips.

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 help ensure that the distribution of allocations from the Northern Ireland Life and Health Sciences Launchpad is equitable.

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

Innovate UK’s Launchpad programme is aimed at supporting clusters of SMEs and the most innovative businesses to progress their ideas toward commercialisation, contributing to local economic growth. Social equity and UK-wide impact are important features of the programme.

The Health and Life Sciences Launchpad in Northern Ireland is run in partnership between Innovate UK and Invest NI. Funding has so far been offered to over forty-five projects, across digital health, biotech therapeutics and diagnostics and medical technologies disciplines. During the competition period, Innovate UK and Invest NI raised awareness across different areas through media channels and hosting several in-person sub-regional workshops.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the financial support available for sole traders applying for a patent.

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

The Government provides a range of support to inventors, including sole traders, so they may identify, protect and commercialise their intellectual property through tools found on GOV.UK.

The Government considers the fees charged by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to apply for patents to be accessible and comparatively low compared to other jurisdictions.

The IPO works in partnership with a range of organisations that can help inventors bring ideas to market. In addition, the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, provides a range of support services to help innovators.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the UK-US trade deal on the (a) science and (b) technology sectors.

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

The UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD) includes a number of provisions that will in future benefit UK science and technology sectors. These include, for example, provisions on future negotiations on significantly preferential tariff treatment for pharmaceutical products, and an ambitious set of digital trade provisions.

Given detailed negotiations on these provisions have not yet concluded, it is not possible to undertake an impact assessment at this point.

As the Prime Minister has said, the Economic Prosperity Deal “opens the way to a future UK-US technology partnership through which our science-rich nations will collaborate in key areas of advanced technology”.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the targeting of Iranian scientists by the IDF on British (a) science and (b) scientists.

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

Science, innovation and technology are inherently international. The UK continues to work closely with international partners to harness the power of science and tech for global benefit.

We remain focused on ensuring stability in the Middle East. It is crucial that we now de-escalate the situation, stabilise the region, and get all parties back around the table to negotiate.

We have taken all necessary measures to protect UK interests, UK personnel, and to work with our allies to protect their interests as well. We urge all British Nationals, including scientists, to register their presence and monitor FCDO Travel Advice.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions he has had with academics on the (a) development, (b) validation and (c) uptake of alternative methods to animal testing.

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

The Secretary of State has had no meetings on alternative methods. However, as the Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation, Minister Vallance and officials have met with academics including at Alternative Methods to Animals in Science Strategy Roundtables and at meetings run by the Home Office. Lord Vallance has also engaged with academics developing non-animal alternatives, including the Harries lab at the University of Exeter.

The Government is committed to supporting non-animal alternatives and will publish a strategy to support their development, validation and adoption later this year.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department provides support to local authorities to (a) challenge and (b) regulate the installation of telegraph poles where there is strong local opposition; and whether he plans to review the planning powers available to them.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Permitted development rights enable telegraph poles to be deployed without case-by-case approval from the local planning authority. However, local authorities can raise complaints with Ofcom where poles are not sited consistently with the requirements set out in the Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003 and the relevant guidelines, including the new best practice recommendations published by the industry’s Telecommunications Poles Working Group. My Department is monitoring the impact of this new guidance before considering taking any further steps. I have made it clear that disregarding the views of local communities is counterproductive for the industry and that we reserve the right to change regulations if there is continued significant non-compliance.

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 ensure that telecoms providers engage transparently with local (a) communities and (b) authorities before installing telegraph poles for broadband infrastructure in (i) areas with no historical precedent for such infrastructure and (ii) other areas.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003 include requirements for operators to share apparatus where practicable, to use underground lines where reasonably practicable and to minimise the impact on the visual amenity of properties as far as reasonably practicable.

In addition, following my call for operators to consider revising the Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice, the industry’s Telecommunications Poles Working Group has published best practice recommendations setting out expectations that operators should explore existing sharing opportunities and minimise the visual impact of poles. It also includes guidance on how to enhance communication with the public.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what guidance his Department has issued to telecoms providers on (a) when they are required to use existing underground ducting before installing and (b) minimising the (i) visual and (ii) environmental impact of new telegraph poles.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003 include requirements for operators to share apparatus where practicable, to use underground lines where reasonably practicable and to minimise the impact on the visual amenity of properties as far as reasonably practicable.

In addition, following my call for operators to consider revising the Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice, the industry’s Telecommunications Poles Working Group has published best practice recommendations setting out expectations that operators should explore existing sharing opportunities and minimise the visual impact of poles. It also includes guidance on how to enhance communication with the public.

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 (a) telegraph poles and (b) other above-ground broadband infrastructure on (i) security and (ii) resilience; and whether his Department is taking steps to help mitigate potential risks.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Under the Communications Act 2003, as amended by the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021, public telecoms providers are required to identify and mitigate risks to the security and resilience of their networks and services. This includes risks to physical infrastructure, such as telegraph poles and other above-ground infrastructure. Ofcom monitors and enforces public telecoms providers’ compliance with their obligations in the Act.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what mechanisms are in place to (a) monitor and (b) enforce compliance with the Broadband Infrastructure Code of Practice; and how many breaches of that code have been recorded in the last 12 months.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

As the independent regulator for telecommunications operators, Ofcom is able to take enforcement action and have stated that they would investigate any complaints from local planning authorities about telegraph poles sited in a way which is not consistent with the requirements and guidelines in place, including where they block residents’ drives or where operators systematically fail to engage with local planning authorities’ suggestions. Ofcom has opened two investigations in the past 12 months into whether specific operators have failed to comply with their obligations when installing apparatus. These can be found on Ofcom’s enforcement page here: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/enforcement

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking with the Welsh Government to ensure full gigabit coverage by 2030 in Brecon, Radnor and Cwm-Tawe constituency.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government has recently reconfirmed its commitment to achieving nationwide gigabit coverage and now expects 99% of premises to have access to a gigabit-capable connection by 2032.

As part of Project Gigabit, Openreach is already delivering a contract across North West, Mid and South East Wales to bring gigabit-capable broadband to homes and businesses that would otherwise miss out. This contract currently includes approximately 3,500 premises in the Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe constituency.

Building Digital UK (BDUK) will continue to work closely with the Welsh Government to improve broadband connectivity across Wales as we refresh our delivery plans for the remaining premises in the UK.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he has taken to protect creatives from copyright infringements by Artificial Intelligence developers.

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

Copying protected material in the UK will infringe copyright unless it is licensed, or an exception to copyright applies.

The Government recently consulted on several topics relating to the interaction between copyright and artificial intelligence (AI), including seeking views on the use of copyright material in AI model development. This consultation closed on 25th February.

The Government’s priority now is to review all responses to the consultation, to help inform its next steps. The Government will continue to engage extensively on this issue and its proposals will be set out in due course.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of 14 May 2025 from the hon. Member for Henley and Thame on Bullitt Group UK.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Secretary of State has responded to the Member’s earlier letter.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions he has had with Ofcom on the regulation of gaming companies under the Online Safety Act 2023.

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

The Government engages regularly with Ofcom to discuss implementation of the Online Safety Act.

Game services are in scope of the Online Safety Act if they allow users to post content online or to interact with each other. The Act requires all user-to-user services, including in-scope gaming platforms, to have systems and processes in place to remove illegal content. In July, in-scope services will also need to take steps to protect children from harmful content.

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 reinstate the UK's membership of the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is considering options for UK access to a satellite-based augmentation system, following our withdrawal from the EU's European Geostationary Navigation Overlay (EGNOS) system. This work is ongoing and no decision has yet been made.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to phase out the LD50 toxicity test as an initial step to end animal testing.

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

The Government is committed to the development of non-animal alternatives and will publish a strategy to support their development, validation and adoption later this year.

Significant progress has been made on validating alternative methods, including the possibility of replacing mice by in vitro suitable cell cultures in LD50-type testing methods, and relevant regulatory quality standards and testing requirements have been revised accordingly for these specific medicines.

The implementation of new tests for existing products must protect and prioritise human safety, often requiring extensive validation. It is not presently possible to replace all of the existing animal tests with in vitro non-animal replacements.

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 help tackle fake adverts for the sale of farm machinery.

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

Under the Online Safety Act, user-to-user services and search services in scope must respectively prevent and minimise illegal fraudulent content from appearing on their platforms and swiftly remove it if it does. Services designated as Category 1 or 2A (the largest user-to-user and search services) will have additional duties to tackle paid-for fraudulent advertising, either where it appears on their service or is accessed in or via search results.

Work has also begun to develop a new Fraud Strategy, with Ministers working closely with law enforcement, consumer groups and business on how to best defeat this epidemic and protect the public.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if his Department will work with wireless broadband operators to develop technology that is in keeping with local environments where it is installed.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Planning legislation requires operators to minimise the visual impact of new network deployments on the surrounding area as much as possible. We have set out guidance on how operators should do this in the Wireless Code of Practice. Operators have also committed to place additional antennas and cabinets at existing sites where possible, and only where additional capacity and/or coverage is needed will additional sites be built.

The Government is actively working with industry through our R&D programmes to support companies developing telecoms technologies in the UK, including equipment that matches local environments.

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 support the Government's shareholding in Eutelsat OneWeb.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Government engages with OneWeb through government’s non-executive directors and with Eutelsat Group through UK Government Investments officials who are accountable to the Secretary of State and advise the department on commercial matters. Government works with OneWeb to facilitate its commercial rollout, such as supporting international engagement with key sovereign customers. Substantial Government R&D grant schemes will help UK businesses compete for large-scale contracts, including from OneWeb. We also collaborate with OneWeb to see how its services could deliver for citizens. For example, OneWeb equipment is employed in trials for high speed broadband in very hard to reach locations in the UK.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the United Kingdom remains an attractive destination for foreign investment in the technology sector, particularly in artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK is a global leader in technology and artificial intelligence, offering world-class talent, pro-innovation regulation, and leading research institutions. To strengthen our position, we have developed a new Digital and Tech Sector Plan, which will follow publication of the Industrial Strategy, to drive growth and innovation. We are also unlocking investment through wider reforms like the Mansion House Accord, British Growth Partnership, and National Wealth Fund—mobilising over £100 billion of additional capital. Our AI Opportunities Action Plan sets out how we will build AI infrastructure, including through AI Growth Zones, ensuring the UK remains an attractive destination for AI investment and development.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the annual costs of the office of the National Data Library.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The National Data Library has a budget of £9.6m for FY25/26. Funding beyond this will be considered as part of the forthcoming Spending Review, with further details to follow in due course.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has updated guidance on the use of single-sex facilities in response to the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.

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

We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements. We aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to require employers to provide cyber security training, in the context of the recent cyber security incidents in the retail sector.

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

The cyber security of the UK economy is a priority, which is why the government already offers free cyber security training via the National Cyber Security Centre website. This includes the “Top Tips for Staff”, an online, accessible cyber security training package for organisations of all sizes and sectors, and the new Cyber Governance Code of Practice, which includes a training package to help boards and directors manage digital risks in their organisations. More widely, the government offers a range of guidance to help organisations improve their cyber resilience and many of these products recommend staff training. Existing legislation - including the Security of Network & Information Systems Regulations (2018) and the Data Protection Act (2018) - includes recommendations for organisations in scope to provide appropriate training for their staff. This year we will introduce the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to improve UK cyber defences and better secure our essential services and the IT infrastructure they rely upon. Later this year, the government will publish a new National Cyber Strategy setting out how we will approach the challenges and opportunities of cyber security.

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 improve digital connectivity in (a) rural and (b) coastal communities.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

We recognise that poor internet access can pose significant challenges for rural and coastal communities. The Government is committed to delivering nationwide gigabit broadband. We now expect this target to be reached by 2032. The government also wants all populated areas to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030.

Through Project Gigabit, government is delivering fast, reliable broadband to UK premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans.

4G geographic coverage from at least one mobile operator has now reached over 95% of the UK landmass due to the Shared Rural Network, and we continue to work with the industry to deliver 4G mobile connectivity to places where there is limited or no coverage.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what definition his Department uses for sovereign AI in the AI opportunities action plan.

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

The Government defines sovereign AI as the UK's ability to access, influence or control the development and deployment of critical capabilities to protect our national interests and unlock economic growth. This encompasses strengthening domestic capacity and capabilities, working in close partnership with the private sector and maintaining positive international collaboration.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to take steps to improve (a) knowledge transfer and (b) applied AI research through regional university-business partnerships.

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

Government is investing up to £500 million in the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, a new programme to grow high potential innovation clusters across the UK. This will empower local partnerships of government, universities and businesses to decide how to target R&D investment in their region and unleash their full innovation potential. Alongside this, UKRI continues to support knowledge transfer and AI adoption through consortia of universities and local businesses across the UK. Investments such as the AI research hubs, AI centres for doctoral training and flagship BridgeAI programme are already catalysing local partnerships and driving local innovation and prosperity.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of levels of broadband access on the economic development of rural communities.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Digital infrastructure is a powerful driver of economic growth and development. The telecoms services industry contributed around 2.5% to UK real GVA in 2023, up from 0.3% in 2010.

Evidence from the Government’s Superfast programme showed that for every £1 spent on connections to premises left behind by the market, up to £4.57 was generated in economic and social benefits. We expect Project Gigabit to continue to drive local economic growth and development in areas which stand to benefit from the programme.

Building Digital UK also publishes independent evaluations of its programmes at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/building-digital-uk-research-portal

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of further delay of the implementation of reforms to the Electronic Communications Code under the Product Security and Telecommunications Act 2022 on 5G rollout.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to implementing all remaining provisions of the Product Security and Telecommunications Act 2022 as soon as possible. These measures will help deliver the benefits of advanced digital connectivity.

Most provisions have been implemented. Those remaining are complex and technical. We must ensure they are implemented carefully, to create certainty and avoid post-implementation delays. The Department has policy and legal resources dedicated to deliver these. A technical consultation on draft regulations to implement sections 61 to 64, including transitional provisions, is open until 2 July.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, by what date he expects full implementation of reforms to the Electronic Communications Code brought about through the Product Security and Telecommunications Act 2022.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to implementing all remaining provisions of the Product Security and Telecommunications Act 2022 as soon as possible. These measures will help deliver the benefits of advanced digital connectivity.

Most provisions have been implemented. Those remaining are complex and technical. We must ensure they are implemented carefully, to create certainty and avoid post-implementation delays. The Department has policy and legal resources dedicated to deliver these. A technical consultation on draft regulations to implement sections 61 to 64, including transitional provisions, is open until 2 July.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what plans his Department has to support university-led innovation programmes that boost (a) AI capacity and (b) research and development activity activity in partnership with local businesses in (i) West Yorkshire and (ii) other regional economies.

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

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) plays a crucial role incentivising collaboration and knowledge exchange between universities and other sectors and has supported numerous high-impact collaborations in artificial intelligence. For example, Higher Education Innovation Funding supports engagement with the space industry through the University of Bradford’s Bradford-Renduchintala Centre for Space AI.

UKRI also supports partnerships between universities and businesses through opportunities like Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and consortia investments such as the AI research hubs, AI centres for doctoral training and the flagship BridgeAI programme, catalysing local partnerships and driving local innovation and prosperity.

The AI Action Plan emphasises building a robust AI ecosystem that supports research, skills development, and business engagement, and at Spending Review £2 billion was allocated to implement the Action Plan.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent steps his Department has taken to strengthen collaboration between (a) higher education institutions and (b) local SMEs in the field of AI research and commercialisation in West Yorkshire.

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

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) plays a crucial role incentivising collaboration and knowledge exchange between universities and other sectors and has supported numerous high-impact collaborations in artificial intelligence. For example, Higher Education Innovation Funding supports engagement with the space industry through the University of Bradford’s Bradford-Renduchintala Centre for Space AI.

UKRI also supports partnerships between universities and businesses through opportunities like Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and consortia investments such as the AI research hubs, AI centres for doctoral training and the flagship BridgeAI programme, catalysing local partnerships and driving local innovation and prosperity.

The AI Action Plan emphasises building a robust AI ecosystem that supports research, skills development, and business engagement, and at Spending Review £2 billion was allocated to implement the Action Plan.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if his Department will take steps to lower the Information Commissioner's data protection fee for smaller (a) organisations and (b) charities.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The data protection fees fund the Information Commissioner’s statutory responsibilities in relation to data protection and privacy and electronic communications. There are three tiers of fees payable, based on the size and turnover of organisations. Small organisations typically pay £52 or £78 annually (compared to £3763 for large organisations), with charities always classified in the lowest tier. A £5 discount also applies to payments made by direct debit. The Government will keep the fees under review to ascertain whether they remain fit for purpose and ensure that the income generated is proportionate and sufficient.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when he plans to publish research on the impact of (a) smartphones and (b) social media on young people.

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

The Government is continuing to explore how the evidence base on the impact of social media on children can be improved.

This is why in December 2024, DSIT commissioned a feasibility study on methods and data to understand the impact of smartphones and social media on children.

The Government is currently considering the findings of the feasibility study and will publish the results in due course.

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Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of levels of funding in the higher education sector on the performance of British universities in the QS World University Rankings 2026, published on 19 June 2025.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

To maintain the UK higher education (HE) sector's world-leading status, universities need a stable financial footing. This government is committed to securing our universities’ future, which is why we have acted quickly to address the sector’s financial challenges.

The Office for Students (OfS) continues to dedicate significant resources to ensure the sector's financial sustainability. The department has appointed Professor Edward Peck as OfS Chair, where he will play a key role in strengthening this commitment. Additionally, we made the difficult decision to uplift tuition fee limits by 3.1% (in line with inflation) from the 2025/26 academic year. The department will publish its plans for HE reform as part of the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper this summer.

We also recognise that research funding is integral to universities’ financial sustainability. This government has committed to record funding of research and development (R&D). The Department for Science, Technology and Innovation’s (DSIT) R&D budget has increased in real terms by 8.5% from 2024/25 to 2025/26, and DSIT's allocation to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is £8.8 billion, sustaining unprecedented levels of investment to support the UK’s R&D ambitions.

This government is determined to work with the sector to transition to sustainable research funding models, including by increasing research grant cost recovery, as announced by UKRI in March.

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