Anneliese Dodds

The Government expects all UK businesses to respect human rights and the environment throughout their operations and supply chain relationships, including in agriculture, in line with the OECD Guidelines and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Companies should align their purchasing and procurement practices with these expectations.

In the Trade Strategy, the Government launched a review of the UK’s approach to responsible business conduct, focused on addressing human rights abuses, labour abuses and environmental harms in global supply chains. The review is objective and evidence‑based, examining both existing policies and alternative approaches to support responsible business practices, including guidance for businesses. We hope to publish our conclusions soon.

HM Government takes its export control responsibilities very seriously and we operate one of the most robust export control regimes in the world.

We assess all export licence applications against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, including Criterion 2 which requires us to consider the current human rights situation in the country which is the final destination of controlled exports, as well as respect by that country for international humanitarian law.

The Government will not issue export licences if there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). We also keep extant licences under constant and continual review on this basis.

Corporate Power Purchase Agreements (CPPAs) allow businesses to enhance competitiveness by securing stable, competitively priced electricity.

The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy committed to issue a call for evidence on how the British CPPA market can be improved for industry. The call for evidence, run by DBT and DESNZ, was launched on 9 January and closes 6 March. Ideas generated will be carefully reviewed to inform future policy development.

Future policy will complement existing support for the automotive sector including the DRIVE35 initiative, an additional 1.3bn in the Electric Car Grant and increased funding for charging infrastructure.

The Network Charging Compensation (NCC) Scheme is one of the three components making up the British Industry Supercharger (the Supercharger). The other two components are the GB Capacity Market Exemption and Energy Intensive Industries Exemption Scheme. The most current list of recipients of Supercharger support, and therefore NCC Scheme support, can be found at the following link: Contracts for Difference (CfD) and renewables obligation (RO): list of companies awarded an exemption - GOV.UK. These recipients, and future Supercharger recipients, will benefit from 90% compensation from network charges from 1 April 2026.

The Government is committed to tackling forced labour in UK and global supply chains and ensuring that UK businesses are not complicit in human rights abuses. A range of existing measures already support this, including the Procurement Act 2023, Overseas Business Risk guidance, and the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The review launched in the Trade Strategy into the UK’s approach to responsible business conduct focuses on tackling human rights and labour abuses and environmental harms in global supply chains. It will assess effectiveness of the UK’s current regime and the merits of alternative measures to support responsible business practices.

The government is creating the Fair Work Agency, which will enhance the enforcement of employment rights across sectors, including hand car washes. As announced in the Budget, the Agency will establish a dedicated 'hidden economy' team which will target sectors with multiple regulatory breaches, starting with hand car washes.

The initiative will address employment rights violations while collaborating with relevant enforcement authorities to protect workers and support legitimate businesses operating within the law.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology notes X’s new UK illegal content reporting form and deadlines for reviewing reported content.

We also note X’s commitments to engage experts on reporting systems for illegal hate and terrorist content and to act against accounts operated by, or on behalf of, proscribed organisations. X will report quarterly to Ofcom on these commitments.

As the measures are new and untested, their effectiveness will be considered in due course alongside Ofcom’s supervision of the illegal content duties and the user redress provisions under the Online Safety Act. Ofcom retains our full support to use its enforcement powers as required.

We recognise the important role of trusted online health content. The Online Safety Act places duties on services to protect their users including from illegal content and content harmful to children. It does not prevent adults or children from accessing legal content about women’s health. Users of the largest categorised services will have access to effective complaints procedures to appeal when content is unduly taken down.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

The government is committed to tackling misogynistic online content and has taken action by criminalising additional forms of intimate image abuse, as well as prioritising these under the Online Safety Act, and introducing new measures including a 48‑hour takedown duty.

Ofcom has produced guidance setting out how providers can take action against harmful content and activity that disproportionately affects women and girls, in recognition of the unique risks they face. Ofcom surveys found 15% of UK adults reported seeing content that objectified or demeaned women in the four weeks prior to January 2026. This was down from 20% in June 2025. We know there is still much more to do and are committed to acting.

Ofcom will be consulting on guidance for user identity verification required under the Online Safety Act, following the publication of the categorisation register. The consultation findings will be published as soon as possible, by mid-2027.

The Act requires providers to offer UK adult users features to filter out non verified users; this will help women and girls filter out anonymous abuse more effectively.

The user identify verification requirements will allow users greater protection of their data identity and improves digital inclusion and accessibility.

Ofcom will be consulting on guidance for user identity verification required under the Online Safety Act, following the publication of the categorisation register. The consultation findings will be published as soon as possible, by mid-2027.

The Act requires providers to offer UK adult users features to filter out non verified users; this will help women and girls filter out anonymous abuse more effectively.

The user identify verification requirements will allow users greater protection of their data identity and improves digital inclusion and accessibility.

Ofcom will be consulting on guidance for user identity verification required under the Online Safety Act, following the publication of the categorisation register. The consultation findings will be published as soon as possible, by mid-2027.

The Act requires providers to offer UK adult users features to filter out non verified users; this will help women and girls filter out anonymous abuse more effectively.

The user identify verification requirements will allow users greater protection of their data identity and improves digital inclusion and accessibility.

A range of rules already apply to AI systems, such as data protection, competition, equality legislation and other forms of sector regulation. The UK has well established defamation laws, and our data protection laws also apply to personal data processed in the context of AI. We continue to monitor developments in the common law in this area.

AI services including chatbots that enable users to share content with one another, or that search the live internet in response to user prompts, are regulated under the Online Safety Act and covered by the illegal content and children's safety duties. The largest user-to-user services will also need to enforce their terms of service, such as where they prohibit AI-generated content which is deceptive. Companies that do not comply can expect to face enforcement action from Ofcom.

The Department meets regularly with technology companies and Ofcom to discuss how they can better protect people in the UK from illegal and harmful content online, including from chatbots. We will continue to work closely with industry and Ofcom to address emerging risks and uphold strong online safety protections.

A range of rules already apply to AI systems, such as data protection, competition, equality legislation and other forms of sector regulation. The UK has well established defamation laws, and our data protection laws also apply to personal data processed in the context of AI. We continue to monitor developments in the common law in this area.

AI services including chatbots that enable users to share content with one another, or that search the live internet in response to user prompts, are regulated under the Online Safety Act and covered by the illegal content and children's safety duties. The largest user-to-user services will also need to enforce their terms of service, such as where they prohibit AI-generated content which is deceptive. Companies that do not comply can expect to face enforcement action from Ofcom.

The Department meets regularly with technology companies and Ofcom to discuss how they can better protect people in the UK from illegal and harmful content online, including from chatbots. We will continue to work closely with industry and Ofcom to address emerging risks and uphold strong online safety protections.

The Online Safety Act does not prevent adults or children from accessing legal content about women’s health. Safeguards for freedom of expression have been built in throughout the framework of the Act, which places duties on platforms to protect users’ rights to freedom of expression when introducing safety measures.

The largest services regulated by the Act will have additional duties meaning they cannot arbitrarily remove content, and they will need to be clear what content is acceptable on their services and enforce the rules consistently. Users will have access to effective complaints procedures to appeal when content is unduly taken down.

In December, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) set out how it will deliver its record £38.6 billion funding allocation over the next four years. This is part of the largest ever investment in R&D made by any UK government (£86 billion up to 2029/30) and will help drive new scientific breakthroughs, help create new industries and grow businesses faster, and deliver the growth we need for good jobs and better lives.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has been in active dialogue with UKRI to ensure that any implications from funding decisions are fully understood and that they reflect both the UK’s strategic research priorities and its global commitments. DSIT has asked UKRI to ensure that its final allocations are informed by meaningful consultation with the research community and a robust assessment of potential consequences for the UK’s scientific capability.

The Government Digital Service does not record enquiries at this level of granularity.

Depending on the service type, it is likely the service team will both consult with the Service Manual and the Technology Code of Practice - covering the standards services need to meet - and go through a service assessment in order to receive a GOV.UK web address.

The assessment will check compliance with the Service Standard, including assessing evidence it complies with accessibility regulation and avoid excluding any groups within the audience they’re intended to serve.

The Government Digital Service (GDS) provides service teams across the public sector with guidance on accessible design, use of AI and requirements under the WCAG regulations.

GDS does not provide BSL expertise. Service Owners must conduct research with disabled people, including Deaf users and where appropriate to the service provision, those who use sign language or a sign language interpreter to interact with the service. Services must seek expertise where appropriate from the BSL community and specialist Deaf-led agencies to test their products.

Deaf-led BSL suppliers play a crucial role in ensuring that BSL is used correctly and effectively in various settings.

Multiple suppliers exist in the market providing services to the Deaf community, ensuring that BSL is used effectively in all aspects of communication. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology does not prescribe a particular supplier, it is for service owners to select one based on their service users' needs.

The Government Digital Service does not recommend specific suppliers of BSL assurance, accessibility audits or suppliers of technology development generally.

Service Owners will follow their department's own supplier and commercial strategies. A number of Deaf-led agencies and language service providers are available to engage through Crown Commercial Service's digital purchasing frameworks.

We are not aware of any cross-Government British Sign Language AI procurement.

The government has committed to ensure that algorithmic tools used in the public sector are used safely and transparently and is taking active steps to ensure this. The Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard is mandatory for all government departments. It communicates information about how and why algorithmic tools are used, who is responsible for them, how they are embedded in broader decision-making processes, their technical specifications, and relevant risk mitigations and impact assessments.

The Data Ethics Framework guides appropriate and responsible data use in government and the wider public sector. It helps public servants understand ethical considerations, address these within their projects, and encourages responsible innovation.

Additionally, the Service Manual and Service Standard guide service teams across the public sector on the design and development of digital services, including those enabled by AI.

A service must be accessible to everyone who needs it, including services only used by public servants. Digital services must meet level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.2) as a minimum and service teams must include disabled people and people who use assistive technologies in the design of those services. WCAG 2.2 addresses the needs of people who are deaf or hard of hearing primarily through guidelines for multimedia, such as providing captions, transcripts, and sign language interpretations.

The compliance of central government digital services with the WCAG regulations is monitored by the Government Digital Service.

Providing BSL translations of pre-recorded audio and video content is a WCAG 2.2 AAA criterion. As outlined in the Government Service Standard, all digital government services must as a minimum meet Level AA. AAA is best practice.

Current best practice guidance for use of BSL in digital public services advises that BSL videos are independently assured by a Deaf-led BSL supplier.

We are not aware of any digital public services currently using AI generated BSL content. No specific accessibility standards for this use case of AI are currently applied and would be guided by both the government’s Data Ethics Framework and Service Standard.

85294: We are not aware of any digital public services currently using AI generated BSL content. The Service Manual and Service Standard guide service teams across the public sector on the design and development of digital services, including those enabled by AI.

A service must be accessible to everyone who needs it, including services only used by public servants. Digital services must meet level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.2) as a minimum and service teams must include disabled people and people who use assistive technologies in the design of those services.

The compliance of central government digital services with the WCAG regulations is monitored by the Government Digital Service.

85295: In addition to above (85294) c) services must make sure the non-digital parts of a service are accessible. For example, government departments must make sure that users who are deaf or have a speech impairment are offered a way to contacting the service (by text, email or in person with a British Sign Language translator or lip reader).

This standard would still apply if the service used BSL content that was AI generated.

The Government Digital Service set and assess the cross government digital service standard. Before going live, services are assessed against this 14-point standard which includes the service team providing evidence for how the service is accessible to everyone who needs it.

To meet the standard and assessment, digital services must conduct research with disabled people, including Deaf users and where appropriate to the service provision, those who use sign language or a sign language interpreter to interact with the service.

Services must make sure any BSL video is culturally appropriate by working with the BSL community, testing it, or getting feedback.

85294: We are not aware of any digital public services currently using AI generated BSL content. The Service Manual and Service Standard guide service teams across the public sector on the design and development of digital services, including those enabled by AI.

A service must be accessible to everyone who needs it, including services only used by public servants. Digital services must meet level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.2) as a minimum and service teams must include disabled people and people who use assistive technologies in the design of those services.

The compliance of central government digital services with the WCAG regulations is monitored by the Government Digital Service.

85295: In addition to above (85294) c) services must make sure the non-digital parts of a service are accessible. For example, government departments must make sure that users who are deaf or have a speech impairment are offered a way to contacting the service (by text, email or in person with a British Sign Language translator or lip reader).

This standard would still apply if the service used BSL content that was AI generated.

DSIT is committed to making the internet safer by ensuring platforms limit harmful content under the Online Safety Act and equipping people with the skills to navigate the online world.

As the lead department for media literacy, DSIT is committed to improving media literacy through coordinated cross-government work, funding innovative community-based interventions, launching an awareness campaign to build digital resilience and integrating media literacy with digital skills to meet evolving online challenges.

DSIT supports Ofcom’s updated media literacy duties and leads the relationship with Ofcom, ensuring strategic alignment and promoting best practice across sectors.