Asked by: Graham Leadbitter (Scottish National Party - Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will include Scotland in her department’s consultation entitled “Legislative proposals to address broadband rollout in leasehold flats”.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30th January 2026 to question UIN 107897.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that online platforms operating in the UK comply with data access and privacy requirements, in light of recent regulatory scrutiny of messaging services.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
All organisations in the UK that provide online and messaging services to their customers have to comply with the requirements of UK’s data protection and privacy framework, as set out in the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR). The UK GDPR and the DPA also apply to online platforms based outside of the UK that are processing UK residents’ data for the purposes of providing goods and services or monitoring behaviour.
As such, the handling of people’s data by online platforms should be lawful, fair, transparent and secure. The data protection legislation gives people the right to be informed about the collection and use of their personal data, as well as rights to request access to their data, object to its processing or seek its erasure.
The Information Commissioner, the UK’s independent regulator for data protection, publishes a range of guidance to help organisations comply with the legislation and has the power to investigate and impose penalties for non-compliance.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that future decisions on AI infrastructure development are supported by adequate environmental assessment and community engagement, in the light of recent legal challenges to major projects.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that AI‑related infrastructure, including data centres and associated energy systems, is developed responsibly, with full consideration of environmental impacts and meaningful engagement with local communities.
AI infrastructure will continue to be subject to the UK’s environmental and planning frameworks, which require assessment of impacts such as energy use, water consumption, land use, and local environmental factors, including those which will apply through the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project route.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
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 reduce the number of non-essential scientific experimentations on live animals.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 25th November 2025 to Question UIN 91769 https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-11-17/91769
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when the Project Gigabit voucher scheme will reopen to communities in South Devon constituency.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Building Digital UK (BDUK) engaged suppliers at the end of 2025 on the potential for further Project Gigabit delivery, and several voucher suppliers expressed interest in delivering more voucher projects in South Devon. BDUK will make premises available to be covered by voucher projects where there is a prospect of viable projects being proposed by suppliers.
The scheme is due to end in March 2028 and therefore projects will need to be approved by August this year. The Government would encourage suppliers to engage directly with BDUK, if they believe there is an opportunity to develop a new project targeted at a specific area.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to improve communication with rural communities about Project Gigabit rollout timelines.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Suppliers are responsible for creating a network design plan and delivery schedule for their Project Gigabit contracts. Therefore, updates on delivery timescales for specific areas are often provided by suppliers through their own websites and fibre checker tools. Building Digital UK (BDUK) also works with suppliers and local councils to support communications about Project Gigabit contracts throughout their delivery.
Additionally, communities can check if their premises is included in BDUK plans using the following link: September 2025 OMR and premises in BDUK plans (England and Wales) - GOV.UK. Delivery progress can also be found via BDUK’s monthly data reporting, which shows the number of premises passed under each Project Gigabit contract. The latest edition of this data is available here: Premises contracted and built, Project Gigabit contracts - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to HCWS1249, what estimate he has made of the number of legacy digital systems in use across government; what timetable exists for decommissioning the highest-risk systems, what resources are available to support “secure by design” requirements; and what assessment has been made of the impact of the government vulnerability scanning service.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The most recent assessment of the scale of legacy systems across the public sector was conducted as part of the State of Digital Government Review, which found that 28% of public sector systems were identified as legacy IT. Individual departments remain responsible for addressing their highest risk systems. While DSIT provides oversight, it does not hold central information on all these plans.
The Secure by Design approach provides delivery and project teams with clear principles and activities to follow to increase the cyber resilience and security of new and emerging systems, services and technology infrastructure. A central DSIT team supports them through a community of champions, nominated by their respective organisation.
Over 700 public sector organisations have now signed up to the vulnerability scanning service, with the service finding and helping fix over 100 critical vulnerabilities a month.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
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 utilise AI to improve the productivity of the (a) public-sector, (b) NHS, (c) Civil Service and (d) Local Government in (i) Broxtowe constituency, (ii) the East Midlands and (iii) England.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to (a) SOPS 1.1. in the Department's 2024/5 Annual Report, a breakdown of the £209,590,000 spent in gross administration costs on capability and (b) Table 1, Annex A: Common Core Tables in the Department's 2020/21 Annual Report, a breakdown of the £118,965,000 spent on Capability in 2019/20, on what basis there is a difference between the two figures.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The 2024-25 outturn for Capability gross administration costs is broken down as below:
Staff costs* | £84.078m |
Other operating costs | £43.484m |
Purchase of goods and services* | £40.218m |
Matrix programme* | £28.295m |
Depreciation and other non-cash expenditure | £11.455m |
Other costs, including finance costs and grants | £2.059m |
Total | £209.590m |
*As one of DSIT’s major projects, Matrix programme costs have been presented separately i.e. deducted from other totals above.
2019-20 outturn for the Capability line as shown within the 2020-21 Annual Report and Account was prepared for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, DSIT’s predecessor department. Since then, multiple Machinery of Government (MoG) changes have taken place, resulting in significant movements of policy responsibilities across government departments, including DSIT, DESNZ, DBT, DCMS and the Cabinet Office.
It should be highlighted that the Matrix programme - representing a material element of 2024-25 expenditure has only come into operation in more recent years. For these reasons, the two financial years are therefore not readily comparable.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the letter sent by Lord Vallance of Balham to the Home Secretary following his meeting with the CEO of MBR Acres on 17 September 2025.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will not be publishing this letter. Releasing internal correspondence at this stage would prematurely expose discussions that relate to the ongoing development of the government’s position on a sensitive policy area. The issues involve complex regulatory, scientific, and public safety considerations, and ministerial discussions include exploratory thinking, provisional advice, and options that have not yet been finalised.