Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how many hours on average (1) adults, and (2) children and young people under 18 years old, spend on (a) Facebook, (b) Instagram, (c) TikTok, and (d) snapchat, per (i) day, (ii) week, and (iii) year.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Children aged 8-14 spend 3 minutes a day on Facebook, 4 minutes on Instagram, 15 minutes on TikTok, and 45 minutes on Snapchat. This is an average of all children across the UK, based on Ofcom data.
Ofcom also indicates adults average 40 minutes a day on Facebook, 16 minutes on Instagram, 16 minutes on TikTok, and 6 minutes on Snapchat. This is an average across all UK adults.
Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the average amount of time spent using a smartphone by (1) adults, and (2) children and young people under 18 years old, broken down by (a) day, (b) week, and (c) annual averages.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Ofcom data indicates that children aged 8-14 average 2 hours and 59 minutes online per day, between smartphones, tablets and computers. This equates to 20 hours and 53 minutes per week and 1088 hours and 55 minutes annually.
For adults, Ofcom found that the average daily smartphone time is 3 hours and 28 minutes. This is equivalent to 24 hours and 16 minutes per week, and 1265 hours and 20 minutes annually, on average.
The children’s measure will be an overestimate due to the inclusion of tablets and computers as well as smartphones, whereas the adult measure is smartphones only, but it is the most robust measure available.
Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard to the Freedom from violence and abuse volume 2: action plan, published on 18 December 2025, what is the timetable for the cross-departmental team's examination of the recommendations of Baroness Bertin's Independent Pornography Review.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
To address the recommendations of Baroness Bertin’s Review, in December 2025 government announced through the ‘Freedom from Violence and Abuse’ strategy, the creation of a cross-government joint team, to rigorously examine the evidence to inform the government’s approach to pornography policy. The team began work in December 2025, and is formed of the Home Office, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Ministry of Justice and Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many times Ministers have met OpenAI to discuss platform safety.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Ministers meet with the AI Industry to discuss a range of issues related to government priorities, including in relation to AI security. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)’s transparency data on ministers’ meetings with external organisations shows that between January and June 2025 there were six meetings with OpenAI, which focussed on issues including support for businesses, AI’s potential for public service delivery, and UK AI policy. Further updates on ministerial meetings will be released in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of artificial intelligence chatbots on the mental health of children.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
DSIT is conducting a range of research projects to advance evidence around the impacts of AI chatbots on users, including on their mental health. The Secretary of State has also confirmed this week that the government will further consider chatbots and how they interact with the Online Safety Act as part of its approach, urging Ofcom to use its existing powers to ensure they are safe for children.
Alongside this, DHSC’s 10 Year Plan sets out an ambitious reform agenda to transform mental health services to improve access and, treatment and promote good mental health and wellbeing for the nation.
Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for artificial intelligence chatbots being regulated as search services under the Online Safety Act 2023.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Last year, Ofcom published a letter that set out that if an AI service searches the live internet to return its results it will be regulated under the Act as a search service.
The Secretary of State has also confirmed in Parliament this week that the government will further consider the role of chatbots and how they interact with the Online Safety Act as part of its approach, urging Ofcom to use its existing powers to ensure they are safe for children.