Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to maintain levels of funding for astronomy and space science.

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

I refer the honourable Member to the answer given on 21st April 2026 to question UIN 126553.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what advice she has received from the Women in Tech Taskforce on equity in education.

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

Women are underrepresented across the tech sector, and this gap starts early, with girls making up fewer than 20% of A-level Computer Science entrants.

The Women in Tech Taskforce was set up to change this: helping more women enter, stay, and lead in tech.

It will make recommendations on education and career pathways.

DSITs £187m TechFirst programme is also delivering interventions in education to boost opportunities for women and girls. This includes the annual Girls Competition which saw cyber and tech challenges completed by over 10,000 12-13 year old girls across the UK.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when she plans to publish research priorities for alternative methods to animal testing to support its phasing out.

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

The Government has published a strategy to support alternatives to the use of animals in science.

In the strategy, we commit to publishing areas of research interest, detailing a list of alternative methods research and development priorities to coalesce UK scientists in this area and to incentivise partnerships between research organisations, Clinical Research Organisations and industry.

We will publish this by the end of this year.

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 merits of recognising advanced mathematics in UKRI's revised approach to funding.

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

I am very proud that this Government has committed the largest investment into R&D on record, with £38 billion allocated to UKRI.

There is no route to future growth in this country without science and technology, and mathematical sciences is foundational to our priority technologies and industrial strategy outcomes.

In 2025/26 UKRI committed £25 million for core mathematical sciences, alongside wider support, through doctoral training and core capability funding, and will continue to invest in this important area.

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 the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on research funding for the Lobular Breast Cancer Moonshot Project.

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

Funding is available through the Medical Research Council (MRC) and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Ministers Vallance and Hodgson have worked together to ensure the Government has a well-reasoned approach to this topic.

Lord Vallance, alongside senior officials from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and MRC, continues to engage scientific and industry leaders to understand challenges and opportunities in lobular breast cancer research to inform future policy.

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 ensure that the UK has sovereign AI capacity.

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

AI is critical to the UK’s economic prosperity, public services and national security. The £500 million Sovereign AI Fund will help promising British AI companies to grow and anchor in the UK. It is complemented by the AI Research Resource and AI Growth Zones expanding access to compute and infrastructure. Together, these interventions will strengthen sovereign capability in strategically important parts of the AI value chain, giving the UK greater resilience and strategic advantage in an AI-driven global economy.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what comparative assessment her Department has made of the level of public funding allocated to (a) animal-based research and (b) non-animal New Approach Methodologies in each of the last five years.

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

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) invests to support research which can lead to alternatives, such as organ-on-a-chip, cell-based assays, functional genomics and computer modelling. These are categorised as basic research, so calculating funding for New Approach Methodologies specifically is not possible. The Government has announced £75m of funding to accelerate alternatives and innovation, with new capabilities being developed across the UK. UKRI also invests in the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs).

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what comparative assessment her Department has made of the level of public funding allocated to (a) animal-based research and (b) non-animal New Approach Methodologies in the last five years.

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

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) invests to support research which can lead to alternatives, such as organ-on-a-chip, cell-based assays, functional genomics and computer modelling. These are categorised as basic research, so calculating funding for New Approach Methodologies specifically is not possible. The Government has announced £75m of funding to accelerate alternatives and innovation, with new capabilities being developed across the UK. UKRI also invests in the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs).

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what funding is being allocated to alternatives to animal testing, such as the advanced use of human cells.

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

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) invests to support research which can lead to alternatives, such as organ-on-a-chip, cell-based assays, functional genomics and computer modelling. These are categorised as basic research, so calculating funding for New Approach Methodologies specifically is not possible. The Government has announced £75m of funding to accelerate alternatives and innovation, with new capabilities being developed across the UK. UKRI also invests in the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs).

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to strengthen national cyber resilience in response to the risks arising from AI increasing the scale and sophistication of cyber attacks.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The capabilities of artificial intelligence models are accelerating quickly and this presents both risks and opportunities for cyber security, which is why the government takes these developments very seriously.

We are already taking significant action, including working across government and industry to understand the latest developments, publishing evaluations of the capabilities of the latest AI models, and taking widespread action to improve cyber resilience across the economy. On 15 April ministers wrote an open letter to businesses advising them of the actions they should take to protect against AI-driven cyber threats. On 22 April the Security Minister announced further measures to improve UK cyber resilience, including £90m of new funding to boost the cyber security of businesses and a new Cyber Resilience Pledge. In the King's speech on 13 May we announced the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will continue its passage through Parliament. The Bill improve UK cyber defences and protect our essential public services. This summer the government will publish the National Cyber Action Plan setting out how we will work with industry to drive up levels of cyber resilience across the economy.

Strengthening cyber resilience is a shared responsibility and all organisations must take ongoing action to protect themselves. Companies developing digital technologies should ensure they are secure by design, following international standards and UK codes of practice for Secure Software, AI Cyber Security, IoTs and Apps.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the answer of 28 April 2026 to question 128431, whether her Department verifies claims by major communication providers that no existing PSTN customers will be left without landline alternatives.

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

Landlines are not being removed. The technology underpinning the landline network, the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), is being upgraded to digital Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

As per the response to Question 128431 on 28 April, I can reiterate that major communications providers have assured the Government that no existing PSTN customer will be left without a landline or an option to move to a communication provider that can provide a landline. This include transitional products, such as Pre-Digital Phone Lines (PDPL), for customers who cannot yet be upgraded to VoIP.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the Government is considering additional interim support for rural households and businesses that remain without access to gigabit-capable broadband while awaiting connection through Project Gigabit contracts; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) temporary voucher expansion, (b) support for alternative wireless technologies and (c) targeted assistance for communities facing delivery delays beyond originally indicated connection timelines.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring at least 99% of premises receive gigabit broadband coverage by 2032. As of January 2026, Ofcom report that 88% of UK premises have access to a gigabit-capable connection.

In the interim, most premises can access superfast fixed wired connections (available to 98% of UK premises), and connectivity via fixed wireless and satellite connections is also available in many areas. We continue to monitor and support the development of the satellite market and further suppliers are expected to enter it this year.

Building Digital UK (BDUK) works with Project Gigabit suppliers to avoid delivery delays wherever possible. Where these do occur, recovery plans or alternative delivery solutions are put in place to bring delivery back on track as quickly as possible and mitigate any impacts that might arise.

The last date for claims under the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme is March 2028. There are no plans to extend the scheme beyond this date as low volumes mean that it would not offer value for money.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the answer of 28 April 2026 to question 128431, what her Department considers to be an adequate landline alternative.

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

Landlines are not being removed. The technology underpinning the landline network, the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), is being upgraded to digital Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

As per the response to Question 128431 on 28 April, I can reiterate that major communications providers have assured the Government that no existing PSTN customer will be left without a landline or an option to move to a communication provider that can provide a landline. This include transitional products, such as Pre-Digital Phone Lines (PDPL), for customers who cannot yet be upgraded to VoIP.

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 trends in notices to quit issued under paragraph 31 of the Electronic Communications Code; and what comparative assessment she has made of those trends with the valuation provisions introduced by the 2017 Code reforms.

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

The Government wants operators to work collaboratively with site providers to reach agreements for siting mobile infrastructure. Masts may be removed or relocated for a range of reasons, and this is a commercial matter for the parties involved. The Department does not track the number of mobile masts that are removed. however, we engage regularly with mobile operators to understand the challenges they face in redeploying equipment following Notices to Quit.

We recognise operators’ concerns about the impact of Notices to Quit on the deployment of mobile infrastructure as operators search for alternative sites to host equipment. To help mitigate impacts on local coverage and capacity, the Government’s recent Call for Evidence on planning reform proposed extending the period during which equipment can be deployed on an emergency basis without planning permission from 18 to 36 months. This would allow operators to maintain local connectivity while they identify and deploy to permanent sites. We are considering responses to the Call for Evidence and will determine next steps in due course.

Sections 61 to 64 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022, relating to the renewal of certain telecoms site rental agreements, came into force on 7 April 2026. These measures will bring greater consistency in how land used for telecommunications purposes is valued.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of implementing sections 61 to 64 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 on existing mobile mast sites and on the number of notices to quit issued under paragraph 31 of the Electronic Communications Code.

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

The Government wants operators to work collaboratively with site providers to reach agreements for siting mobile infrastructure. Masts may be removed or relocated for a range of reasons, and this is a commercial matter for the parties involved. The Department does not track the number of mobile masts that are removed. however, we engage regularly with mobile operators to understand the challenges they face in redeploying equipment following Notices to Quit.

We recognise operators’ concerns about the impact of Notices to Quit on the deployment of mobile infrastructure as operators search for alternative sites to host equipment. To help mitigate impacts on local coverage and capacity, the Government’s recent Call for Evidence on planning reform proposed extending the period during which equipment can be deployed on an emergency basis without planning permission from 18 to 36 months. This would allow operators to maintain local connectivity while they identify and deploy to permanent sites. We are considering responses to the Call for Evidence and will determine next steps in due course.

Sections 61 to 64 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022, relating to the renewal of certain telecoms site rental agreements, came into force on 7 April 2026. These measures will bring greater consistency in how land used for telecommunications purposes is valued.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a register of mobile sites and their legal status to monitor telecoms masts at risk of removal after a site provider serves a notice to quit.

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

The Government wants operators to work collaboratively with site providers to reach agreements for siting mobile infrastructure. Masts may be removed or relocated for a range of reasons, and this is a commercial matter for the parties involved. The Department does not track the number of mobile masts that are removed. however, we engage regularly with mobile operators to understand the challenges they face in redeploying equipment following Notices to Quit.

We recognise operators’ concerns about the impact of Notices to Quit on the deployment of mobile infrastructure as operators search for alternative sites to host equipment. To help mitigate impacts on local coverage and capacity, the Government’s recent Call for Evidence on planning reform proposed extending the period during which equipment can be deployed on an emergency basis without planning permission from 18 to 36 months. This would allow operators to maintain local connectivity while they identify and deploy to permanent sites. We are considering responses to the Call for Evidence and will determine next steps in due course.

Sections 61 to 64 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022, relating to the renewal of certain telecoms site rental agreements, came into force on 7 April 2026. These measures will bring greater consistency in how land used for telecommunications purposes is valued.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many times Ministers from her Department have attended UK conferences, trade shows and exhibitions since 7 February 2023.

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

Ministers at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology regularly attend and speak at conferences, trade shows and exhibitions across the UK. These events provide valuable opportunities to engage with stakeholders and the public. The requested information is not centrally held and could only be collated and verified for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, How many (a) projects, and (b) individual graduates, have benefitted from the Innovate UK and Invest NI Knowledge Transfer Partnership scheme in the past three years.

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

In Financial Years 2023/24 to 2025/26, Invest Northern Ireland have supported 45 Knowledge Transfer projects, which created 45 highly skilled jobs for graduates placed in local businesses through the scheme.

In total, Invest Northern Ireland have contributed £2,026,204 towards the grant costs of these projects. Innovate UK has contributed £4,199,706, giving these projects a total grant value of £6,267,910.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of implementing the recommendations from Ofcom's consultation on a new crisis measure under the Online Safety Act, including the expectation on social media platforms to conduct post-crisis analyses to improve transparency.

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

The Online Safety Act already places significant transparency duties on regulated services. We welcome Ofcom’s proposal to build on this with post-crisis analyses, and strengthen platforms’ coordinated approach during crisis periods.

We look forward to receiving Ofcom’s final decision in June 2026. Ofcom is responsible for determining and implementing the final approach and, subject to the parliamentary process, we expect any new measures to come into effect in early autumn.

In Protecting What Matters, the government’s plan to improve social cohesion, we have further committed to reviewing the Act’s crisis powers to ensure they are fit for purpose.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of increasing Ofcom's powers under the Online Safety Act to adequately tackle disinformation and misinformation.

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

The Online Safety Act provides a strong, proportionate framework for tackling online mis/disinformation. Ofcom has robust powers to hold companies to account if they fail to meet their duties in the act, including significant fines and, in the most serious cases, business disruption measures.

Our immediate focus is implementing the Act quickly and effectively so Ofcom can fully use the powers already provided. However, I have been clear that if gaps in the Act remain, I will not hesitate to go further.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment the Government has made of the public safety risks associated with the migration from analogue landlines to Digital Voice in rural areas with poor mobile coverage and frequent prolonged power outages.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring that any risks from the industry-led migration of the analogue Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to digital Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for everyone across the UK, including in rural areas. Communications providers are under legal obligations to ensure uninterrupted access to emergency services, including 999 and 112, and to take appropriate and proportionate steps to identify risks to network resilience and mitigate service disruption.

In November 2024, the Government secured additional safeguards from the telecoms industry. These include the provision of free battery back-ups for vulnerable and landline dependent customers (including those with poor mobile coverage) to ensure access to emergency services go beyond one hour in a power outage. Many communication providers have gone further, providing battery back-ups of 4–7 hours.

In March 2026, the Government and industry agreed a new Fixed Telecoms Charter to extend these safeguards to all future fixed telecoms modernisation programmes.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the One Login programme is compliant with the National Cyber Security Centre's Cyber Assessment Framework.

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

Protecting the security of government services and the data and privacy of users is our utmost priority. GOV.UK One Login follows the highest security standards for government and private sector services, including dedicated 24/7 eyes-on monitoring, incident response and appropriate security controls.

To ensure we are keeping pace with the changing cyber threat landscape we are now working towards the most current National Cyber Security Centre’s Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) and will be putting the system forward under the new enhanced profile.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent steps her Department has taken to develop AI content labelling to (a) support creatives and (b) reduce the impact of AI deepfakes on the creative industries.

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

There is an increasing use of AI tools and other forms of technical innovation in the creation and distribution of digital content, including by the creative industries. The government recognises that labelling AI-generated content can be helpful to consumers to understand whether content has been made using AI, and to protect against disinformation and harmful deepfakes.

The government has committed to establishing an AI labelling taskforce, with an interim report to be published in autumn. We will also launch a consultation on digital replicas in the summer.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps have been taken to ensure that any appointment to lead the Sovereign AI Fund is made on merit through a transparent and open competition, rather than being influenced by personal or political connections, including those linked to former senior political figures.

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

The Managing Partner of the Sovereign AI Fund has been appointed following a three-month, competitive, five-stage recruitment process involving over 60 candidates. The individual was judged to be the strongest candidate on merit against the skills and experience required. This is a Civil Service appointment. Ministers were not involved in the recruitment process and had no decision-making authority over the outcome.

Ministers will set the Fund’s mission, budget and risk appetite, and are accountable to Parliament for the Fund. Investments by the Sovereign AI Fund will be delivered through DSIT’s existing Government-owned company, British Technology Investments (BTI) Ltd and its governance structures. The Sovereign AI Investment Committee, chaired by the Managing Partner, will have delegated authority from the BTI Board to make individual investment and funding decisions to a set limit. The Sovereign AI Investment Committee will report monthly to the British Technology Investments Limited board on investment decisions and wider portfolio performance, and to the Sovereign AI Strategy Board which provides strategic oversight of the whole programme.

As is standard practice, the Managing Partner is recused from decisions which may cross with any real or perceived conflicts in relation to personal or financial interests. These mitigations were discussed in detail and agreed with the DSIT Permanent Secretary.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment has been made of potential conflicts of interest in relation to the proposed appointment of Suzanne Ashman to lead the Sovereign AI Fund, including her previous roles in venture capital and her personal connections, and what mitigation measures are being put in place.

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

The Managing Partner of the Sovereign AI Fund has been appointed following a three-month, competitive, five-stage recruitment process involving over 60 candidates. The individual was judged to be the strongest candidate on merit against the skills and experience required. This is a Civil Service appointment. Ministers were not involved in the recruitment process and had no decision-making authority over the outcome.

Ministers will set the Fund’s mission, budget and risk appetite, and are accountable to Parliament for the Fund. Investments by the Sovereign AI Fund will be delivered through DSIT’s existing Government-owned company, British Technology Investments (BTI) Ltd and its governance structures. The Sovereign AI Investment Committee, chaired by the Managing Partner, will have delegated authority from the BTI Board to make individual investment and funding decisions to a set limit. The Sovereign AI Investment Committee will report monthly to the British Technology Investments Limited board on investment decisions and wider portfolio performance, and to the Sovereign AI Strategy Board which provides strategic oversight of the whole programme.

As is standard practice, the Managing Partner is recused from decisions which may cross with any real or perceived conflicts in relation to personal or financial interests. These mitigations were discussed in detail and agreed with the DSIT Permanent Secretary.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the formal remit, decision-making powers and accountability mechanisms will be for the individual appointed to lead the Sovereign AI Fund, including how they will be held accountable to Ministers and to Parliament.

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

The Managing Partner of the Sovereign AI Fund has been appointed following a three-month, competitive, five-stage recruitment process involving over 60 candidates. The individual was judged to be the strongest candidate on merit against the skills and experience required. This is a Civil Service appointment. Ministers were not involved in the recruitment process and had no decision-making authority over the outcome.

Ministers will set the Fund’s mission, budget and risk appetite, and are accountable to Parliament for the Fund. Investments by the Sovereign AI Fund will be delivered through DSIT’s existing Government-owned company, British Technology Investments (BTI) Ltd and its governance structures. The Sovereign AI Investment Committee, chaired by the Managing Partner, will have delegated authority from the BTI Board to make individual investment and funding decisions to a set limit. The Sovereign AI Investment Committee will report monthly to the British Technology Investments Limited board on investment decisions and wider portfolio performance, and to the Sovereign AI Strategy Board which provides strategic oversight of the whole programme.

As is standard practice, the Managing Partner is recused from decisions which may cross with any real or perceived conflicts in relation to personal or financial interests. These mitigations were discussed in detail and agreed with the DSIT Permanent Secretary.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recruitment process has been followed for the appointment of a Chief Executive or equivalent lead to the Sovereign AI Unit, and whether that process has been conducted in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

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

The Managing Partner of the Sovereign AI Fund has been appointed following a three-month, competitive, five-stage recruitment process involving over 60 candidates. The individual was judged to be the strongest candidate on merit against the skills and experience required. This is a Civil Service appointment. Ministers were not involved in the recruitment process and had no decision-making authority over the outcome.

Ministers will set the Fund’s mission, budget and risk appetite, and are accountable to Parliament for the Fund. Investments by the Sovereign AI Fund will be delivered through DSIT’s existing Government-owned company, British Technology Investments (BTI) Ltd and its governance structures. The Sovereign AI Investment Committee, chaired by the Managing Partner, will have delegated authority from the BTI Board to make individual investment and funding decisions to a set limit. The Sovereign AI Investment Committee will report monthly to the British Technology Investments Limited board on investment decisions and wider portfolio performance, and to the Sovereign AI Strategy Board which provides strategic oversight of the whole programme.

As is standard practice, the Managing Partner is recused from decisions which may cross with any real or perceived conflicts in relation to personal or financial interests. These mitigations were discussed in detail and agreed with the DSIT Permanent Secretary.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the government will guarantee that the Sovereign AI Fund will only invest in companies that it reasonably believes adhere to UK copyright law.

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

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

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent steps her Department is taking to prevent the spread of harmful online content influencing antisocial behaviour in areas such as West Dorset.

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

The Online Safety Act requires social media companies to act on illegal content, such as material that includes threatening behaviour likely to cause fear or provoke immediate violence. Platforms must also protect children from harmful content, such as content that encourages dangerous online challenges. Ofcom has robust powers to enforce these duties, with the government’s full backing.

To go further, we committed through Protecting What Matters to strengthening community resilience and reducing exposure to harmful content. We are also consulting on additional measures to protect children online, including stronger controls on algorithmic amplification and supporting them in critically assessing content.

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 UK robotics and autonomous systems manufacturers to scale up their operations.

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

Government measures to support British technology companies, including robotics firms, to scale up in the UK comprises crowding-in private sector investment via the British Business Bank and National Wealth Fund, both with expanded capitalisations and a mandate to support industrial strategy companies. Further support includes the Made Smarter programme which funds the development, commercialisation and adoption of robotics in manufacturing. The Government is also accelerating the adoption of robotics technologies through a new £52m Robotics Adoption Hubs programme to provide businesses with the expertise to understand and use these systems.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress her Department has made on providing full gigabit and national 5G coverage by 2030.

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

The government has a target to deliver 99% gigabit broadband coverage by 2032 and an ambition for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G coverage by 2030.

Significant progress has already been made, as reported in Ofcom’s Connected Nations Spring 2026 report. As of January 2026, 88% of UK premises can access gigabit-capable broadband, up from 82% in July 2024, and standalone 5G is available outside of 93% of premises across the UK, up from 83% in July 2025.

We have created a competition-friendly environment in areas where gigabit deployment is commercially viable, and we are focusing government funds on the remaining areas of the country where commercial deployment is unlikely. As of the end of December 2025, over 1.3 million UK premises in rural and hard to reach areas had been upgraded to gigabit-capable broadband through government funded programmes, including through Project Gigabit.

The rollout of higher quality standalone 5G is being led by commercial investment from the three mobile network operators. All three network operators have committed significant investment plans which align with this Government’s ambition, and through the Mobile Market Review we are looking to better understand how government can go further in supporting the sector to deliver widespread, high-quality connectivity.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps are being taken to ensure value for money for taxpayers in the deployment of the £500 million Sovereign AI Fund, and what criteria will be used to assess the Fund’s success in supporting UK-based AI companies.

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

Delivering value for money for taxpayers is central to the Sovereign AI Fund. This will be assessed through robust monitoring and evaluation against the Fund’s strategic objectives, including its effectiveness in growing and anchoring strategically significant AI companies in the UK, mobilising private capital, and strengthening the wider UK AI ecosystem, alongside standard public money controls and financial oversight.

Equity Investments by the Sovereign AI Fund will be delivered through DSIT’s existing Government-owned company, British Technology Investments (BTI) Ltd and its governance structures. The BTI Board will review the Fund’s performance and the Sovereign AI Strategy Board will provide strategic oversight of the overall programme. The vast majority of individual investment decisions will be taken by an independent Investment Committee with delegated authority from BTI Board. Exceptional cases may be decided on by the BTI Board.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what governance structures are in place to oversee investment decisions made by the Sovereign AI Fund, and what role Ministers, the Department, and the Fund’s Chair will have in approving individual investments.

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

Delivering value for money for taxpayers is central to the Sovereign AI Fund. This will be assessed through robust monitoring and evaluation against the Fund’s strategic objectives, including its effectiveness in growing and anchoring strategically significant AI companies in the UK, mobilising private capital, and strengthening the wider UK AI ecosystem, alongside standard public money controls and financial oversight.

Equity Investments by the Sovereign AI Fund will be delivered through DSIT’s existing Government-owned company, British Technology Investments (BTI) Ltd and its governance structures. The BTI Board will review the Fund’s performance and the Sovereign AI Strategy Board will provide strategic oversight of the overall programme. The vast majority of individual investment decisions will be taken by an independent Investment Committee with delegated authority from BTI Board. Exceptional cases may be decided on by the BTI Board.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent steps she has taken to end the use of animals in scientific research for human medicine and products.

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

The Government’s strategy to replace animals in science sets a long-term goal of eliminating their use in all but exceptional circumstances. It focuses on building a research and innovation system that develops and validates alternative methods, including for testing human medicines and products. The strategy was developed in collaboration with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and includes targets to replace specific animal tests used in medicines development. The MHRA has also issued new guidance outlining its approach to supporting non-animal methods in medicines regulation.

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 accessibility of the consultation entitled Growing up in the online world: a national consultation, published on 2 March 2026, for people (a) without technical expertise.

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

The government is committed to ensuring that as many people as possible can take part in Growing up in the online world: a national consultation, including those without technical expertise.

The government has produced tailored and more accessible versions of the consultation for parents and carers and children, designed to be easier to complete and navigate, with over 69,000 responses to the consultation so far.

Through ongoing engagement on the National Conversation, ministers and officials will continue to host bespoke engagement reaching hundreds of civil society organisations, schools and community groups right across the United Kingdom, focusing on voices which are seldom heard and hard to reach.

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 use of artificial intelligence by social media platforms to support effective content moderation.

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

Under the Online Safety Act, platforms have duties to protect their users from illegal content and children from content that is harmful.

Where proportionate, services will be required to take steps such in areas including content moderation. It is for Ofcom as the independent regulator to recommend steps that in-scope services can take to fulfil these duties in its codes of practice and to monitor compliance.

Ofcom has robust enforcement powers to ensure that platforms comply with their duties under the Act.

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 merits of further regulation of novel wearable technology.

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

Wearable technologies are not regulated as a broad category, as products may have a wide range of uses and functions. Existing frameworks apply where appropriate.

For example, under the Medical Device Regulations 2002, regulatory requirements apply to products, or software run on or with such products, that meet the definition of a medical device.

Relevant regulators, such as the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, continue to engage with Government, patients, clinicians and industry, to assess whether existing frameworks remain appropriate as technologies evolve, and to determine whether further regulatory measures or guidance may be needed to ensure safety while supporting innovation.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she plans to take to include children’s perspectives in the policymaking process for generative AI.

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

Children’s perspectives are central to the government’s policy approach to generative AI.

The Secretary of State recently brought together young people, campaigners, experts, and industry, to discuss childhood in the age of AI at Wilton Park. The event highlighted the opportunities and challenges AI creates for young people and reinforced the need to involve them in future policy development.

The government also launched the Growing Up in an Online World consultation, seeking views from children and young people on their experiences and perspectives on AI. We encourage responses before it closes on 26 May.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps the Defending Democracy Taskforce is taking to tackle disinformation and misinformation online.

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

The Defending Democracy Taskforce coordinates and drives forward a whole-of-Government response to protecting the integrity and security of our democratic processes from a full range of threats.

DSIT leads the UK’s policy on disinformation and uses both legislative and non-legislative actions to make it harder to spread false information and to reduce its impact. Under the Online Safety Act, in-scope services are required to tackle illegal online content, including mis- and disinformation. This includes content aimed at disrupting the democratic integrity of the UK. Further, DSIT leads the government’s Media Literacy Action Plan, which aims to build UK resilience to misleading information in all contexts.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress her department has made on improving cyber resilience.

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

Enhancing the resilience of our economy to cyber attacks is a priority for the government, and we are taking positive action.

My department published the Government Cyber Action Plan (GCAP) in January, setting out how government will improve the cyber security and resilience of public services. The GCAP is backed by over £210 million of central investment. This funding establishes the Government Cyber Unit in my department and enables investment in scalable services, support, and response capability to accelerate transformation.

The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, which proposes new laws to improve UK cyber defences and protect essential public services, has completed Commons Committee stage and will soon proceed to Commons Report stage.

The Product Security and Telecommunications Act 2022 has improved the security of consumer ‘smart’ devices, with recent testing showing 100% compliance with new requirements for stronger password protections.

My department has recently announced the Cyber Resilience Pledge which will launch in the summer. By signing the pledge, organisations from across the economy commit to take action to improve their cyber resilience by making cyber risk a board-level priority, signing up to the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) Early Warning service, and requiring Cyber Essentials across their supply chains.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department plans to take steps to reduce the level of public sector reliance on large technology companies.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring public sector technology procurement delivers value for money, resilience, and access to a competitive supplier market. Departments are responsible for their own contracting and are required to award contracts through fair and open competition.

The Department of Science, Innovation and Technology recognises the importance of maintaining a diverse and competitive supplier base, including reducing over-reliance on a small number of technology solutions where this limits innovation, resilience or value for money.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in improving their use of technology to deliver government priorities.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government has made significant progress in improving its use of technology to deliver priorities across the public sector.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s Government Digital Service is established as the digital centre of government and sets out a clear framework through the Blueprint for Modern Digital Government and the 2026 Roadmap.

This includes accelerating adoption of cloud technologies, tackling legacy IT systems, expanding the use of artificial intelligence, and investing in shared digital infrastructure to deliver more joined-up, resilient and efficient public services.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what is the scope of Project REFLECT under the Advanced Research and Invention Agency.

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

The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) is an independent research body, and they are conducting cautious, controlled research aimed at improving understanding of the risks and impacts of Solar Radiation Modification. This will produce important information for decisions around the world.

Project REFLECT, funded under ARIA’s ‘Exploring Climate Cooling’ programme, looks to investigate Marine Cloud Brightening, by exploring whether spraying seawater could increase the reflectivity of clouds. The programme aims to responsibly test various methods of spraying seawater to explore the risks and viability of this approach. Over an initial 3-year period, the project will focus on computer modelling and indoor tests. Further information on ARIA’s programme oversight and governance principles is available on their website: https://aria.org.uk/opportunity-spaces/future-proofing-our-climate-and-weather/exploring-climate-cooling/.

Whilst the government is not in favour of using Solar Radiation Modification, the government supports ARIA’s mission to fund transformational research programmes with long-term benefits.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of increasing levels of AI adoption on public sector efficiency.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government recognises the significant potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to improve public sector efficiency and productivity.

Analysis undertaken through the State of Digital Government Review indicates there is up to £45 billion per year in potential gains, including up to £36 billion from simplifying and automating delivery. Initial analysis by the Central Digital and Data Office found that baseline spend could be reduced by 31% through the use of AI. However, this is an estimate of opportunity, rather than a forecast or committed saving.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in setting up AI growth zones.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

To date, Government has announced five AI Growth Zones: in Culham; the North East of England; Anglesey (North Wales); a South Wales Cluster (spanning from Newport to Bridgend); and Lanarkshire, Scotland.

Over £28 billion in private investment has been committed to these announced AI Growth Zones to date, with delivery of these projects underway across multiple sites.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the University of Leeds report entitled Why doesn’t the UK make more Robots?, published in November 2025, what steps she is taking to help reduce skills gaps within the domestic robotics industry.

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

In February 2026, Government launched the Robotics Adoption Skills Development Programme which will provide up to £2.5m for projects to develop and deliver course content and materials to support skills, talent and training in robotics. This seeks to address the skills gaps in being able to procure, integrate, operate and maintain robotics and autonomous systems. Other examples include the Manufacturing Technology Centre providing a range of robotics training and skills packages, the UK Atomic Energy Authority offering specialised robotics and remote handling courses and the ACORN accelerator which funds training and collaboration in nuclear robotics.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the University of Leeds report entitled Why doesn’t the UK make more Robots?, published in November 2025, what steps she is taking to help tackle scaling barriers for UK-designed and manufactured robotics and autonomous systems.

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

Government measures to support robotics firms to scale up in the UK includes crowding-in private sector investment via the British Business Bank and National Wealth Fund, both with expanded capitalisations and a mandate to support companies aligned with the Industrial Strategy. The Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) assesses UK’s approach to regulation to ensure the regulatory system adapts to keep pace with innovation. Robotics is a current priority for RIO which will be assessing where barriers can be removed to accelerate innovation and deployment.

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 social media platforms, such as TikTok, on compliance with UK GDPR regarding the use of default opt-in settings for training generative AI models on user-generated content.

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

The Government regularly engages with social media platforms but has not discussed this particular issue with TikTok.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), as the UK’s independent data protection regulator, is responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance and continues to engage directly with companies on these issues, including the appropriate use of user-generated content for model training. The ICO has published a range of guidance on how data protection laws apply to AI systems that process personal data: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/artificial-intelligence/. The ICO also has powers to investigate and impose penalties for non-compliance.

The use of personal data to develop and train generative AI systems should be fair, lawful and transparent, in line with the requirements of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA).

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential financial impact on residents of privately-managed leasehold retirement housing of the requirement to upgrade communal telecare alarm systems to digital infrastructure ahead of the Public Switched Telephone Network switch-off on 31 January 2027; and what steps the Government is taking to ensure those costs do not fall solely on elderly residents on fixed or low incomes.

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

Switching a landline from the analogue Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to digital Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) should not increase costs for the end customer.

However, independent businesses, including privately managed retirement housing who require telecare systems, remain responsible for ensuring the equipment is digitally compatible and fit for purpose for their residents. The PSTN migration was announced in 2017 to give businesses and residents time to upgrade as part of the normal maintenance and product replacement cycle. The Pre-Digital Phone Line is a transitional product that can, where needed, provide an extension in many cases for analogue devices until 2030, including for customers who cannot yet migrate to VoIP.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions she has had with (a) local police forces and (b) Trading Standards authorities on enforcement action against independent shops suspected of supplying counterfeit goods.

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

The Intellectual Property Office funds the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit or PIPCU. PIPCU and Trading Standards work in concert with the Intellectual Property Office to undertake multi-agency efforts to disrupt counterfeiting activity. We continue to advocate for IP Crime as a high-harm, high-impact crime that requires a system response rather than a fragmented approach.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when she plans to respond to the correspondence in relation to Digital ID of 6 February, 12 March and 13 April with reference numbers SL03345/dw and MC2025-00011528.

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

The Department apologies for the delay in responding on this occasion, which falls below the standards we strive for. I provided a full response on 19^th May.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure Scottish families and businesses, including those in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, are included in reforms to improve ultrafast broadband access proposed in the UK Government’s latest consultation.

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

The consultation on legislative proposals to address broadband rollout in leasehold flats was published on 15th December and closed on 16th February 2026. The proposals are based on leasehold law and are applicable in England and Wales. Whilst the proposals in the consultation do not extend to Scotland, we continue to engage with the Devolved Nations on issues relating to the deployment of digital infrastructure, including deployments to blocks of flats.

It was confirmed in the King’s Speech on 13 May 2026 that the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill would include provisions to create a new right for leaseholders in flats to request improvements, such as gigabit-capable broadband. We are currently analysing responses to the consultation and are working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the final policy proposals. We will provide an update on the outcome in due course.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, which projects are being delivered by the Advanced Research and Invention Agency.

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

The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) is funding world-leading research in a range of areas, including AI, compute, biomedical, climate and robotics. ARIA focuses on funding transformational research with long term benefits. More detail on ARIA’s programmes can be found on their website: Opportunity spaces.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has, in collaboration with its counterpart in the Scottish Government, made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to allow broadband providers to access communal areas in multi-dwelling units to upgrade flats and apartments across Scotland.

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

The consultation on legislative proposals to address broadband rollout in leasehold flats was published on 15th December and closed on 16th February 2026. The proposals are based on leasehold law and are applicable in England and Wales. Whilst the proposals in the consultation do not extend to Scotland, we continue to engage with the Devolved Nations on issues relating to the deployment of digital infrastructure, including deployments to blocks of flats.

It was confirmed in the King’s Speech on 13 May 2026 that the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill would include provisions to create a new right for leaseholders in flats to request improvements, such as gigabit-capable broadband. We are currently analysing responses to the consultation and are working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the final policy proposals. We will provide an update on the outcome in due course.

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 whether those living in in leasehold flats and apartments in Scotland will be able to benefit from the improved access to ultrafast broadband proposed in her Department’s recent consultation.

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

The consultation on legislative proposals to address broadband rollout in leasehold flats was published on 15th December and closed on 16th February 2026. The proposals are based on leasehold law and are applicable in England and Wales. Whilst the proposals in the consultation do not extend to Scotland, we continue to engage with the Devolved Nations on issues relating to the deployment of digital infrastructure, including deployments to blocks of flats.

It was confirmed in the King’s Speech on 13 May 2026 that the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill would include provisions to create a new right for leaseholders in flats to request improvements, such as gigabit-capable broadband. We are currently analysing responses to the consultation and are working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the final policy proposals. We will provide an update on the outcome in due course.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what legislative options her Department is considering to improve broadband builders’ access to upgrade rental flats and apartments.

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

The consultation on legislative proposals to address broadband rollout in leasehold flats was published on 15th December and closed on 16th February 2026. The proposals are based on leasehold law and are applicable in England and Wales. Whilst the proposals in the consultation do not extend to Scotland, we continue to engage with the Devolved Nations on issues relating to the deployment of digital infrastructure, including deployments to blocks of flats.

It was confirmed in the King’s Speech on 13 May 2026 that the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill would include provisions to create a new right for leaseholders in flats to request improvements, such as gigabit-capable broadband. We are currently analysing responses to the consultation and are working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the final policy proposals. We will provide an update on the outcome in due course.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what plans her Department has to secure long-term investment for (a) a UK Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods, (b) the pre-clinical translational models hub and (d) the Replacing Animals in Science strategy’s other measures.

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

The Government has announced £75m of funding to accelerate alternatives and innovation, with new capabilities being developed across the UK. This funding will help bring forward advanced testing methods that can save lives and support a faster, science‑led route to regulation. £60 million of this is ring‑fenced, multi‑year funding secured through the 2025 Spending Review to provide long‑term stability for strategic programmes. The Department remains fully committed to delivering the actions set out in the Replacing Animals in Science strategy through the funding secured in the Review.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what her Department's planned timetable is for updating (a) milestones, (b) KPIs and (c) delivery plans regarding the Replacing Animals in Science strategy; and whether progress will be published.

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

A publicly available dashboard of progress against the strategy’s key deliverables and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the delivery of the Replacing Animals in Science Strategy will be published later in 2026. Any work to phase out animal testing must be science-led, in lock step with partners, so we will not be setting arbitrary timelines for overall reduction, but we will publish timelines for specific actions.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how her Department plans to track progress on phasing out animal testing through the Replacing Animals in Science strategy.

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

A publicly available dashboard of progress against the strategy’s key deliverables and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the delivery of the Replacing Animals in Science Strategy will be published later in 2026. Any work to phase out animal testing must be science-led, in lock step with partners, so we will not be setting arbitrary timelines for overall reduction, but we will publish timelines for specific actions.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department plans to introduce a dedicated funding stream for the development, validation and uptake of non-animal New Approach Methodologies.

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

The Government has announced £75m of funding to accelerate alternatives and innovation, with new capabilities being developed across the UK. This funding will help bring forward advanced testing methods that can save lives and support a faster, science‑led route to regulation. £60 million of this is ring‑fenced, multi‑year funding secured through the 2025 Spending Review to provide long‑term stability for strategic programmes. The Department remains fully committed to delivering the actions set out in the Replacing Animals in Science strategy through the funding secured in the Review.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of accelerating the validation and uptake of non-animal New Approach Methodologies on the life sciences sector.

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

Building on the UK’s strengths as home to world leading research and pharmaceutical businesses, the Replacing Animals in Science Strategy will support the UK to capitalise on the global non-animal technologies market, and on the scientific and economic advantages of more human-relevant methods for product development and testing in support of the UK’s non-animal technologies market estimated to be worth over £2bn.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what is the extent of government financial support for the MBR Acres facility.

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

The Department of Science, Innovation and Technology has not provided any direct financial support to the MBR Acres facility.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions her Department has had with the Institute of Physics and Royal Astronomical Society on the planned changes to the budget of the Science and Technology Facilities Council.

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

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has committed a record £58.5 billion investment in R&D over the next four years, including £38.6 billion allocated to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) within UKRI is maintaining its budget from £835 million in 2025/26 to £842 million in 2029/30, and is currently working with the sector to model different spending scenarios for its portfolio in particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics (PPAN). The impacts of different modelled scenarios across the broad and diverse range of STFC-funded facilities and programmes will be considered alongside feedback from the sector when taking final decisions.

DSIT maintains regular engagement with a broad range of sector organisations, and has engaged with the Institute of Physics and the Royal Astronomical Society on this particular issue. DSIT has asked UKRI to ensure that its specific investment decisions are informed by meaningful engagement with the scientific research community and a robust assessment of potential consequences for the UK’s scientific capability, research institutions and international standing.

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 the Scottish Government on whether the R100 programme is on track; and when full connectivity is expected to be achieved in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.

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

The UK Government has maintained regular engagement with the Scottish Government regarding the delivery of its Reaching 100% (R100) programme and continues to work closely with Scottish counterparts to monitor progress and support delivery.

The R100 programme is scheduled to complete delivery by 2028. The Scottish Government is responsible for management of the contract including the timescales for delivery in particular locations, including in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to take measures alongside the Scotland Office and his counterparts in the Scottish Government to ensure the R100 programme is carried out in full and on time.

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

The UK Government has maintained regular engagement with the Scottish Government regarding the delivery of its Reaching 100% (R100) programme and continues to work closely with Scottish counterparts to monitor progress and support delivery.

The R100 programme is scheduled to complete delivery by 2028. The Scottish Government is responsible for management of the contract including the timescales for delivery in particular locations, including in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the Department has conducted an impact assessment on changes in the level of funding by the Science and Technology Facilities Council on trends in the level of (a) economic development and (b) STEM training, research and development.

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

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has committed a record £58.5 billion investment in R&D over the next four years, including £38.6 billion allocated to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) within UKRI is maintaining its budget from £835 million in 2025/26 to £842 million in 2029/30, and is currently working with the sector to model different spending scenarios for its portfolio in particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics (PPAN). The impacts of different modelled scenarios across the broad and diverse range of STFC-funded facilities and programmes will be considered alongside feedback from the sector when taking final decisions.

DSIT maintains regular engagement with a broad range of sector organisations, and has engaged with the Institute of Physics and the Royal Astronomical Society on this particular issue. DSIT has asked UKRI to ensure that its specific investment decisions are informed by meaningful engagement with the scientific research community and a robust assessment of potential consequences for the UK’s scientific capability, research institutions and international standing.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when her Department intends to publish its response to the consultation entitled Information sharing for public service delivery: expanding the information sharing powers in Part 5 (chapter one) of the Digital Economy Act 2017 to support passported benefits and reduce fuel poverty, published on 29 July 2025.

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

The Government is committed to safe and responsible data sharing across the public sector to improve public service delivery across the country. The consultation on expanding the information sharing powers for public service delivery in Part 5 (chapter one) of the Digital Economy Act 2017 to support education-related passported benefits and energy debt relief measures closed on the 23rd of September 2025. The Government response will be published in due course to allow for further policy consideration and assessment of any wider implications.

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 merits to consumers of competition in fixed telecommunications infrastructure.

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

The UK telecoms market is highly competitive. The Statement of Strategic Priorities designated on 27 April 2026 sets out the government’s view on the benefits of competition in the fixed telecoms market for investment in high quality networks, innovation and consumer choice. As a result, the UK benefits from relatively low consumer pricing, and prices have declined in recent years when adjusted for inflation.

Ofcom, as the independent regulator, plays a key role in supporting competition in the fixed telecoms market, including by imposing proportionate remedies on Openreach where necessary. The UK’s pro-competition regulatory approach has been a crucial driver of fibre roll-out, with more than a hundred alternative networks entering the market in recent years.

According to Ofcom as of January 2026, 77% of residential premises in the UK have access to more than one network, and 61% have access to more than one gigabit-capable network.

In addition, Ofcom reported in February 2026 that out of six comparable countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the US), the UK had the second-lowest standalone mobile prices and the third-lowest overall standalone fixed broadband prices in 2025.

The Government and Ofcom also ensure that strong consumer protections are in place so that the benefits of competition are delivered fairly. Earlier this year, the Government published the Telecoms Consumer Charter, a set of voluntary commitments agreed with major operators to strengthen transparency, empower consumers and improve support for those struggling to pay, building on Ofcom’s existing requirements to ensure people receive clear, fair and easily understandable information.

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 impact of increased competition in fixed telecommunications infrastructure on (a) household broadband bills, (b) service choice and (c) broadband speeds in the UK over the last five years.

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

The UK telecoms market is highly competitive. The Statement of Strategic Priorities designated on 27 April 2026 sets out the government’s view on the benefits of competition in the fixed telecoms market for investment in high quality networks, innovation and consumer choice. As a result, the UK benefits from relatively low consumer pricing, and prices have declined in recent years when adjusted for inflation.

Ofcom, as the independent regulator, plays a key role in supporting competition in the fixed telecoms market, including by imposing proportionate remedies on Openreach where necessary. The UK’s pro-competition regulatory approach has been a crucial driver of fibre roll-out, with more than a hundred alternative networks entering the market in recent years.

According to Ofcom as of January 2026, 77% of residential premises in the UK have access to more than one network, and 61% have access to more than one gigabit-capable network.

In addition, Ofcom reported in February 2026 that out of six comparable countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the US), the UK had the second-lowest standalone mobile prices and the third-lowest overall standalone fixed broadband prices in 2025.

The Government and Ofcom also ensure that strong consumer protections are in place so that the benefits of competition are delivered fairly. Earlier this year, the Government published the Telecoms Consumer Charter, a set of voluntary commitments agreed with major operators to strengthen transparency, empower consumers and improve support for those struggling to pay, building on Ofcom’s existing requirements to ensure people receive clear, fair and easily understandable information.

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 ensure that competition in fixed telecommunications infrastructure is sustained and protects consumers’ long-term interests.

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

The UK telecoms market is highly competitive. The Statement of Strategic Priorities designated on 27 April 2026 sets out the government’s view on the benefits of competition in the fixed telecoms market for investment in high quality networks, innovation and consumer choice. As a result, the UK benefits from relatively low consumer pricing, and prices have declined in recent years when adjusted for inflation.

Ofcom, as the independent regulator, plays a key role in supporting competition in the fixed telecoms market, including by imposing proportionate remedies on Openreach where necessary. The UK’s pro-competition regulatory approach has been a crucial driver of fibre roll-out, with more than a hundred alternative networks entering the market in recent years.

According to Ofcom as of January 2026, 77% of residential premises in the UK have access to more than one network, and 61% have access to more than one gigabit-capable network.

In addition, Ofcom reported in February 2026 that out of six comparable countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the US), the UK had the second-lowest standalone mobile prices and the third-lowest overall standalone fixed broadband prices in 2025.

The Government and Ofcom also ensure that strong consumer protections are in place so that the benefits of competition are delivered fairly. Earlier this year, the Government published the Telecoms Consumer Charter, a set of voluntary commitments agreed with major operators to strengthen transparency, empower consumers and improve support for those struggling to pay, building on Ofcom’s existing requirements to ensure people receive clear, fair and easily understandable information.

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 effectiveness of the Regulatory Innovation Office in reducing regulatory approval times for emerging technologies.

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

The Regulatory Innovation Office works with regulators and government to cut approval times for game-changing tech. For example, RIOs AI Capability Fund supports regulator adoption of AI tools, streamlining their processes and speeding up decision making for novel technologies. To track success, we are working with regulators to set KPIs and milestones in RIOs first priority areas which, in collaboration with DBT, will be reviewed at regular intervals to drive performance across the regulatory system.

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 strengthen protections for victims of sexual abuse from (a) harassment and (b) threatening or coercive communication online.

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

The Secretary of State and I have acted to prevent platforms hosting child sexual abuse material and material that contributes to violence against women and girls by banning AI nudification apps and requiring platforms to take down non-consensual intimate images 48 hours after they are reported. We have always been clear that there is still more to do.

Under the Online Safety Act, services must have proportionate systems and processes in place to prevent users from encountering illegal content including online harassment and threatening or coercive communications. These duties are enforced by Ofcom, which can hold companies to account where they fail to protect users.

The Act also strengthened the criminal law, including new offences for threatening and false communications , enabling law enforcement to take action against online abusers.

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 extent to which social media platforms’ moderation standards reflect UK standards of age-appropriateness.

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

Under the Online Safety Act, social media platforms are required to protect their users from illegal content, and children from content that is harmful. This includes taking measures, such as content moderation, to protect children from ‘priority’ content such as violent or abusive material and provide age-appropriate experiences.

As the independent regulator, Ofcom has recommended steps for content moderation that in-scope services can take to fulfil these duties. These recommended steps are included in the Codes of Practice for Illegal Harms and Protection of Children.

Ofcom has robust enforcement powers to ensure that platforms comply with their duties under the Act.

The government’s consultation “Growing Up in an Online World” consultation, seeks views on range of further measures to protect children online. We encourage responses before it closes on 26 May.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the University of Leeds report entitled Why doesn’t the UK make more Robots?, published in November 2025, what steps her Department is taking to help support the domestic manufacture of robotics and autonomous systems, including to support national security and productivity.

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

Initiatives to support manufacture of robotics and autonomous systems include the £99m Made Smarter programme which funds the development and commercialisation of industrial digital technologies, including robotics, and supports their adoption by manufacturing SMEs. The Manufacturing Technology Centre, part of the Catapult network of research centres, has launched an accelerator programme offering a range of support to develop robotics and automation solutions.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support the life sciences sector in Oxfordshire.

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

Through the Government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan, we are on a ten‑year mission to drive growth and build a prevention‑focused NHS. The Plan will make the UK Europe’s leading life sciences economy by 2030 and third globally by 2035, backed by over £2bn of government funding, alongside UKRI and NIHR investment.

This will directly benefit clusters such as Oxfordshire, supporting its world‑leading ecosystem to attract investment and create high‑value jobs. Across the UK, the sector is projected to grow by £41 billion by 2035.

We are already delivering, including up to £600 million for the Health Data Research Service, over £650 million for Genomics England, and up to £354 million for Our Future Health.

The Government is supporting life sciences in Oxford through targeted investment in world‑class research and innovation infrastructure, including major science campuses such as the Oxford Science park, and Oxford Biomedical campus, and national facilities at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus. There are already a number of world-leading spinouts from the University of Oxford including; Oxford Nanopore, Immunocore and Adaptimmun. This is complemented by measures to expand laboratory and commercial space, strengthen links between research, clinical testing and commercialisation, and improve access to finance, enabling companies to start, scale and remain in the UK.

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 women from a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire access high-quality jobs in the tech sector.

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

We established the Women in Tech Taskforce to identify and address the barriers preventing women from entering, staying in, and progressing in tech.

This is a matter of principle; it makes economic sense and is essential to ensure the tech and services of tomorrow work for all.

Informed by evidence, its work and recommendations will support more women in all parts of the UK to access high quality jobs in the tech sector.

Alongside this, the £187 million TechFirst programme is supporting thousands of people into tech careers, with a specific focus on increasing opportunities for women across the country. This includes the TechFirst Women's Programme, which will support 300 women into tech jobs across the country, regional funding connecting people to local tech jobs, and targeted competitions and scholarship opportunities to encourage more women and girls into the sector.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential economic impact of rolling out ultrafast full fibre broadband across Scotland.

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

Project Gigabit is supporting connectivity improvements across Scotland through contracted delivery. Openreach has been awarded a £157 million contract, and a further £131 million of contracts have been signed since the beginning of 2025, together covering over 70,000 additional Scottish premises. These contracts form part of the UK wide Project Gigabit programme, which is estimated to generate over £14 billion in economic benefits across the UK. The government does not publish disaggregated data on economic impact of Project Gigabit in Devolved Administrations.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what proportion of mobile phone mast sites servicing rural areas have alternative power generation or a battery back-up that can be accessed during an unplanned power outage.

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

Government does not hold this level of detailed information. Mobile network operators have legal obligations to put in place appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure the resilience of their networks and services. This is overseen by the independent regulator Ofcom, who have powers to monitor compliance, conduct investigations, issue penalties and enforce remedial actions.

Residents in all areas of the country, rightly expect to have reliable mobile connectivity to participate in the modern digital economy. The Government recognises that events like storms and power outages can have a particular impact on rural communities. That is why, with support from the Government Ofcom have completed a public consultation on power back-up for mobile services across the UK, which identified a particular impact on rural communities. They published an update on their work in February 2025 and announced they are completing further analysis to determine the appropriate and proportionate measures required to ensure adequate resilience for consumers. Government looks forward to Ofcom concluding this work as soon as possible.

Government is also supporting collaboration between the electricity and telecommunications sectors to deliver measures so that when power cuts occur the likelihood of disruption to telecommunications services is as low as possible, and where disruption does occur it should affect as few people for the shortest possible time. This will include all areas of the country and will help strengthen resilience of mobile networks.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she will have conversations with the Social Media companies about trends in the levels of blocked content across their platforms, about the use of IPEDs and SARMs.

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

The Secretary of State engages regularly with Ofcom and industry, including social media companies, on how they are fulfilling their duties under the Online Safety Act, including in relation to illegal content and emerging harms.

The Act places clear duties on platforms to prevent their services being used to facilitate the sale of illegal drugs and to remove such content when it does appear, including content promoting controlled substances under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Platforms must also protect children from harmful content, including material encouraging the use of physically harmful substances such as unregulated medicines, through proportionate, risk-based measures.

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 improve the safety of young people online in North East Somerset and Hanham.

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

Protecting children from harm online is a priority for the Secretary of State. That is why the Secretary of State launched the consultation ‘Growing up in an Online World’ on how to go further to protect children and has committed to respond by the Summer. This builds on action to designate encouraging self-harm as a priority offence under the Online Safety Act, close loopholes and bring AI chatbots into scope of the Act, criminalise AI tools designed to generate child sexual abuse material; and criminalise people who write guides on how to exploit legitimate AI tools to generate child sexual abuse.

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 tech start-up companies to scale-up in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.

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

This Government is committed to removing barriers to growth.

We are unlocking finance via pension and capital‑markets reforms, while the British Business Bank increases annual investment to £2.5 billion and commits £5 billion to growth‑stage funds. We are investing in skills, compute, and AI Growth Zones and have committed £38.6 billion to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) over five years, including £7.4 billion for innovative companies' growth. For example, UKRI have granted £131,000 to Currie Young Limited in Newcastle-under-Lyme to transform insolvency services by integrating AI across their business processes. UKRI are also investing £18 million in the Midlands Advanced Ceramics for Industry, a consortium of researchers, manufacturers, and end-users led by the Lucideon Group, based in Stoke-on-Trent.

These measures represent a comprehensive plan, with record funding, to support growth across the UK.

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 reduced competition in fixed telecommunications infrastructure on consumers.

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

The UK telecoms Market is highly competitive. The Statement of Strategic Priorities, designated on 27 April 2026, highlights that competition in the fixed telecoms market supports investment, innovation and consumer choice. As a result, the UK benefits from relatively low consumer pricing, and prices have declined in recent years when adjusted for inflation. In addition, Ofcom reported in February 2026 that out of six countries analysed (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the US), the UK had the third-lowest standalone fixed broadband prices in 2025. Wider comparative data on international pricing and market dynamics is limited.

Ofcom, as the independent regulator, plays a key role in supporting competition, including by imposing proportionate remedies on Openreach where necessary. The UK’s pro-competition approach has driven fibre roll-out, with over a hundred alternative networks entering the market in recent years. According to Ofcom as of January 2026, 77% of residential premises have access to more than one network.

The Government and Ofcom also ensure that strong consumer protections are in place so that the benefits of competition are delivered fairly. Earlier this year, the Government published the Telecoms Consumer Charter, a set of voluntary commitments agreed with major operators to strengthen transparency, empower consumers and improve support for those struggling to pay, building on Ofcom’s existing requirements to ensure people receive clear, fair and easily understandable information.

Found: infrastructure for measurement science (metrology), through the National Measurement System (funded by DSIT

Found: infrastructure for measurement science (metrology), through the National Measurement System (funded by DSIT

Found: In April 2026, the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) informed us that, following

Found:  Defra continues to work with DSIT, the Department for Business and Trade and the Environment Agency

Found: While DSIT leads on data infrastructure policy, delivery barriers sit with MHCLG, DESNZ and DEFRA, which

Found: .  In a report commissioned by DSIT [1], we found that data centres in the UK were responsible for

Found: sustainable growth and ensure different policy levers and mechanisms across multiple Departments (including DSIT

Found: AI policy decision making currently sits across DSIT, Defra, DESNZ, Ofgem, GB Energy, and GB Energy-Nuclear

Found: Opportunity: Sovereign Infrastructure In 2025, DSIT published the AI Opportunities Action Plan, setting

Found: Policy should therefore promote data lifecycle management to reduce unnecessary storage (DSIT, ICO).

Found: submission from Nick Scott, Clara Son and Sofie Surraco (DCU0054) References 1 Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

Found: , Innovation and Technology’s main scenario that total compute demand will grow to 9.6GW by 2035 (DSIT

Found: located in 1 https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/151599/html/ 2 Matthew Pennycook: “DSIT

Found: extraordinary economic opportunity and a 1 6GW target: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT

Found: global-data-centre-electricity-consumption-by-equipment-base-case-2020-2030 2 Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

Found: MOSL is collaborating with the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) to improve understanding

Found: This means we have to look at range of scenarios to understand how the DSIT projections translate into

Found: The problem is spreading. 1 Department for Science, Innovation & Technology and UK Research and Innovation

Found: text=We%20forecast%20total%20demand%20could,commercial%20electricity%20consumption %20in%202030. 6 DSIT

Found: Specialist Taskforce: Create a dedicated Delivery Unit spanning DSIT, MHCLG, DESNZ, and Ofgem with the

Found: the future growth and sustainability of DCs, with the project used in consultation with DESNZ and DSIT

Found: . — DSIT and DESNZ should jointly commission a feasibility study on co-location of new data centre

Found: Synnovis failed, clinicians lacked both the automated system 7 Shabad, 'Beyond Compliance' (note 1). 8 DSIT

Found: provide cross-cutting expert guidance on AI strategy, working directly with the Prime Minister and DSIT

Found: aligned actors and criminal groups. 3.2 The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s (DSIT

Found: homeland defence, which sit across the responsibilities of the MOD, the Cabinet Office, the Home Office, DSIT

Found: global-risks-report-2025/ (Accessed: 10 April 2026). 13 Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT

Found: DESNZ drives the offshore wind build-out; NCSC addresses cyber threats to that infrastructure; DSIT

Found: Policy is set by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and regulatory oversight

Found: Correspondence from Minister Lloyd, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

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

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

Found: National Metrology Institute (NMI), owned by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT

Found: The recent pilot call from Renaissance Philanthropy and DSIT on AI-for-science datasets11 was a promising

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

Found: The Government should commission DSIT, with DHSC and Genomics England, to evaluate patient-controlled

Found: The rest of the briefings have been some Ofcom and DSIT briefings, and some No. 10.

Found: George Freeman: On the subject of cluster mapping, it might be helpful to ask DSIT and DEFRA whether

Found: That was to MHCLG and DSIT.

Found: George Freeman: On the subject of cluster mapping, it might be helpful to ask DSIT and DEFRA whether

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps is he taking to ensure that employment protections are adequate for the future, in the context of the potential for AI to replace some job roles.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

DBT is working with DSIT and the AI Economics Institute to monitor impacts on jobs and skills. This will ensure we can respond quickly, alongside investment in training and lifelong learning, to help people adapt and prepare for future jobs.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, to support the agri-food sector.

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

The development and adoption of innovative UK agri-technologies is key to supporting the UK agri-food sector to boost farm productivity and economic growth. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and Defra work closely together to support the sector.

This includes the Defra-funded Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) which is delivered by UKRI and provides grants to support innovative technologies and practices which increase farming productivity, sustainability and resilience. This Government will allocate at least £200m to FIP by 2030.

This Government is also supporting the development of robotics, automation and AI which have the potential to increase productivity and reduce labour needs in agriculture and horticulture. The Regulatory Innovation Office, part of DSIT announced Robotics as one of its priorities this year and will be working with Defra on issues for the Agri-tech sector.

Found: 56.091 68.892 34.12 68.739 83.249 68.147 67.766 37.183 66.371 65.144 45.178 38.337 10.66 6.599 2025 DSIT

Found: Male 100 55.25 66 33.625 67.25 84.5 72.25 66 40.25 67.5 69.167 44 38.571 [c] [c] 2025 DSIT Department

Found: ] 79 56.772 70.19 32.872 74.367 86.076 69.62 74.051 42.722 69.62 68.776 46.835 43.219 [c] [c] 2025 DSIT

Found: 134 58.694 73.12 29.746 76.244 88.806 76.119 74.254 42.537 74.44 68.532 49.254 45.203 [c] [c] 2025 DSIT

Found: 181 58.481 70.618 32.014 70.258 86.188 70.028 69.613 37.983 70.58 68.6 49.171 40.253 7.182 [c] 2025 DSIT

Found: PURCHASE OF GOODS/SERVICES - TELECOMS - DATA COMMUNICATIONS CDIO CHANGE & DELIVERY DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY

Found: Collection, Old Admiralty Building, 26/05/2023 Government Offices, 100 Parliament Street, London, (DSIT

Found: 00:00:00 PRO1235959 DIS2024.102 Kyle, Peter Government Offices, 100 Parliament Street, London, (DSIT

Found: Collection, Old Admiralty Building, 17/05/2024 Government Offices, 100 Parliament Street, London, (DSIT

Found: Q3 20 Days 1,582 61% 61% Q4 20 Days 1,569 65% 65% Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

Found: RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT STARS - Science, Technology, Analysis, Research & Strategy DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY

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Found: and Exports - DBT - DIME - Small Business Growth Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT

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

Found: 40bn 50bn 60bn 70bn 80bn 90bn DHSC HMT DfT DBT (formerly BEIS) DWP DfE FCDO MHCLG (formerly DLUHC) DSIT

Found: Zero (2025) Acknowledgements This work was funded by the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

Found: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Ministerial department 245 Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

Found: cyber resilience, utilising regulatory oversight to establish and monitor maturity targets. 5 DSIT

Found: and Department for Education recently made the decision to have board-level digital leaders. 3.4 DSIT

Found: and Department for Education recently made the decision to have board-level digital leaders. 3.4 DSIT

Found: This is a product created by the Data Science team in the Department for Science and Technology (DSIT

Found: Recent industry and DSIT research estimates significant cyber crime attacks cost

Found: cyber resilience, utilising regulatory oversight to establish and monitor maturity targets. 5 DSIT

Found: McKinsey research for DSIT estimates that inference’s share of total UK compute demand could rise from

Found: Alongside the new national supercomputer, DSIT and UKRI will continue to support a diverse portfolio

Found: The CAA has been key in delivering the sandbox and is working with DSIT on proposals for a new sandbox

Found: DSIT media enquiries Email press@dsit.gov.uk Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm 020 7215 3000

Found: regulatory processes and higher barriers to entry than the road sector, which 395 Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

Found: and the ways in which improvements will be delivered expected to be set out in the coming months DSIT

Found: Estimates: Digital Sector Annual Gross Value Added (2019 to 2023) UK HealthTech Industrial Councils DSIT

Found: DSIT media enquiries Email press@dsit.gov.uk Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm

Found: the winning project from Round 1 of the Fund, which officially launches today, funded previously by DSIT

Found: will thus complement and amplify the work of several departments: FCDO, MOD, HO, DfT, DBT, DLUHC, DSIT

Found: OX11 0QX VENDOR OX11 0QX VENDOR DSIT - Science, Innovation and Growth - DSIT - Space Department for

Found: - Science Innovation and Growth - DSIT - Space

Found: - Science Innovation and Growth - DSIT - Space

Found: 11,598,583.85 NP10 8QQ WGA ONLY NP10 8QQ WGA ONLY DSIT - Science, Innovation and Growth - DSIT - Space

Found: The UK Space Agency merged into the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) on 1 April

Found: This Evaluation Strategy has been developed in collaboration with DSIT to ensure our evaluation of delivering

Found: The establishment of DSIT as UKRI’s new sponsor1 is an extraordinary thing, which gives R&I a seat at

Found: The establishment of DSIT as UKRI’s new sponsor (note 1) is an extraordinary thing, which gi ves R&I

Found: The establishment of DSIT as UKRI’s new sponsor1 is an extraordinary thing, which gives R&I a seat at

Found: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Ministerial department 245 Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

Found: Innovative Regulation (TIR) Directorate, part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT

Found: Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO), part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT

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

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

Found: the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund (RPF), run by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT

Found:  Sometimes [the project team] need[s] help presenting narratives and the whole picture to DSIT.

Found: It also suggested that the Department for Science, Inno vation and Technology (DSIT) has encountered

Found: In addition, we conducted 17 scoping interviews with stakeholders at the UK Space Agency, DSIT and

Found: ............................... 42 vii Abbreviations AoO Announcement of Opportunity DSIT

Found: capabilities that will meet the priorities of the Department of Science Innovation and Technology ( DSIT

Found: and aligns with several of the priorities of the Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT

Found: The Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT) should own the process of commissioning

Found: study was commissioned in November 2023 by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT

Found: independent expert committee sponsored by the Department of Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT

Found: independent expert committee sponsored by the Department of Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT

Found: refer to: NCSC advice on protecting code repositories to ensure these are sufficiently secure  DSIT

Found: Space Agency (ESA) ARTES Programme in support of the Department of Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT

Found: The UK Space Agency, part of the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT), is leading on

Found: Industrial Strategy (BEIS) was split into the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT

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