Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how the Data (Use and Access) Bill will ensure that publishers can access data effectively when ensuring regulatory compliance.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
When processing personal data organisations, including publishers, must comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. If publishers are providing online services, then they may also be required to comply with requirements of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR). The Data (Use and Access) Bill introduces a new exception to PECR that would permit online publishers to use cookies and similar technologies to collect statistical data to enable them to improve their online services, subject to certain safeguards being met.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department is taking steps to allow people to retain their mobile numbers when changing mobile contracts while retaining the same network provider.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Consumers can retain their existing mobile number when renewing their contract or moving to a new contract.
Ofcom has in place rules on retaining an existing number when moving providers, known as "porting", but these only apply when the consumer is leaving one provider and joining a new one.
We would expect mobile operators retaining customers who are changing contract to be motivated to help them retain their existing number should they wish to. People should speak directly to their provider if they are experiencing any issues.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question 20241 on Electronic Government, what his planned timetable is for onboarding HMRC to One Login.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
GDS and HMRC continue to collaborate on delivering the technical requirements necessary to go-live and conducting end-to-end testing within GOV.UK One Login as part of its ongoing internal private beta phase to support users accessing HMRC services. The aim is to launch an external private beta in Spring 2025, followed by a rollout to all new users over the remainder of the year, with existing HMRC users included in subsequent phases.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to improve mobile phone and broadband access in South Kesteven.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Project Gigabit is the government’s programme to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to UK premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans. Eligible premises in the district council area of South Kesteven are set to benefit from three Project Gigabit contracts currently set to deliver new gigabit-capable connections between now and 2029.
We also want all areas of the UK to benefit from good quality mobile coverage. 4G coverage is now available from all four mobile network operators in 97% of South Kesteven. Our ambition is to go further, with all populated areas, including South Kesteven, having higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) withdrawing the Copyright and Performances (Application to Other Countries) (Amendment) (No.2) Order 2024 (SI, 2024, No. 1124) and (b) commencing a consultation into the potential impact of introducing the regulation.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government introduced SI 2024/1124 following a public consultation and careful consideration of the views and evidence submitted thereto. The effect of the SI is to largely maintain the effect of the law as it formerly applied (Option 0 in the consultation), except for limited changes, most of which are made to allow the UK to comply with its international obligations. Revoking this SI and adopting any of the other options considered at consultation would risk costs and disruption for the UK’s creative industries, as set out in the Government’s response to the consultation.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the enforcement practices of the Information Commissioner's Office cohere with the regulatory duties of that Office.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Although DSIT acts as the ICO’s sponsor within government, it is an independent regulator and accountable to Parliament. It is not appropriate for Government to comment on how it exercises its regulatory duties.
The ICO publishes details of its enforcement activity and an annual report across its operations on its website.
The Data (Use and Access) Bill introduces a new governance structure for the ICO – including a new statutory board - to bring it into line with regulatory best practice. The Bill also introduces new reporting requirements on the ICO, including annual metrics on its investigations, their outcomes and use of its powers. This will bring greater transparency and accountability.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to prevent the use of denudifying apps by children in the creation of pornographic deepfake images.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Where an adult or a child uses generative AI to make sexual images of a child, that content is child sexual exploitation and abuse material, and is illegal.
We are also bringing forward provisions to ban the creation of sexually explicit deepfakes images of adults without consent in the Crime and Policing Bill, making this behaviour criminal so that perpetrators can be brought to justice.
The sharing of or threatening to share a deepfake intimate image without consent is already a criminal offence under the Online Safety Act and was designated as a priority offence in November 2024. In-scope services will be required to proactively tackle this type of content, preventing its proliferation online.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps the Government is taking to prevent the use of denudifying apps used to create pornographic deepfake images.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government made a manifesto commitment to ban the creation of sexually explicit deepfake images, as part of the government’s commitment to halve the prevalence of violence against women and girls (VAWG) within the decade.
We are bringing forward provisions in the Crime and Policing Bill to meet that commitment. This will make this behaviour criminal, so that perpetrators can be brought to justice.
The sharing of or threatening to share a deepfake intimate image without consent is already a criminal offence under the Online Safety Act and was designated as a priority offence in November 2024. Companies in scope of the Act’s illegal safety duties will be required to proactively tackle this type of content, preventing its proliferation online.
Asked by: Sarah Smith (Labour - Hyndburn)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking with social media companies to protect online users from anonymous accounts publishing abusive and offensive material.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Online Safety Act will require social media platforms to take more responsibility for the safety of their users. Platforms will need to remove all illegal abusive content and protect children from harmful content, including hateful and abusive content.
Where anonymous abuse does not meet the criminal threshold, adult users of the largest services (Category 1) will have the choice to filter out content from non-verified users. Those services must also offer user empowerment tools to adult users, which when applied will reduce the likelihood that they are exposed to certain legal content, including abusive content.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make it his policy to ensure the adequacy of mobile connectivity in Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency before the switch-off of the public switched telephone network.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Opinions vary as to what constitutes ‘good’ mobile connectivity and I have raised my concerns about the reporting of connectivity with Ofcom, but according to Ofcom’s Connected Nations report (published on 5 December 2024), 4G indoor premises coverage is available from all four mobile operators in 68% of premises in your constituency, with 97% from at least one. This leaves 3% of premises (around 1,500 premises) with no 4G indoor coverage from any operator. Premises includes all buildings not just homes.
Through the Shared Rural Network, we are continuing to deliver 4G mobile connectivity to places where there is either limited or no coverage at all.
Whilst the transition from the analogue landline network to voice over internet protocol is an industry-led process, Ofcom and Government are working together with communications providers to ensure consumers and sectors are protected and prepared for the upgrade process.