Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what responsibility her Department has for ensuring media literacy.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer my hon. Friend, the member for Oxford East, to the answer of 1 May 2025 to Question 47185.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what reporting public bodies are undertaking on the (a) system performance, (b) community impact and (c) compliance with inclusion obligations of the deployment of British Sign Language AI.

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

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.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 26 September 2025 to Question 70899 on Nurseries: Finance, whether her Department has made an assessment of the financial viability of private equity-backed nursery providers.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

It is the department’s ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on the Plan for Change.

As laid out in the Best Start in Life strategy, the department therefore keeps the structure of the market, including the role of private equity, debt, profit levels, and the prices that parents pay, under close review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) initial teacher training and (b) continuing professional development for teachers in media literacy.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework sets out the foundational core content that defines great teaching. This includes anticipating common misconceptions within particular subjects, which is an important aspect of curricular knowledge. In the context of media literacy, this can help teachers to spot pupil misconceptions that may arise from various sources. Beyond this, providers can design a curriculum which is responsive to participant needs, including training on media literacy where necessary.

The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is evaluating the existing national curriculum and statutory assessment system in England, to ensure they are fit for purpose. The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published shortly. The government will then consider the recommendations and its response.

The department funds the National Centre for Computing Education, which provides teachers with free CPD and resources to support the teaching of computing, including media literacy. In addition, Ofcom published its three-year Media Literacy Strategy in October 2024, which commits to supporting teachers through CPD, evaluation of training outcomes and stronger collaboration with regional partners to share learnings and effective practices.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what responsibility her Department has for ensuring media literacy.

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

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.

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 role of media literacy in supporting (a) public health, (b) national security and (c) democracy.

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

Media literacy enables citizens to critically assess information and make informed choices. It supports public health, national security and democracy by countering misinformation, improving society’s resilience to online threats, and empowering safe, confident participation online.

Media literacy is a cross-government priority, delivered through coordinated action across departments, civil society and industry, supported by targeted funding and community-led initiatives.

The Online Safety Act requires social media platforms to tackle illegal content relating to national security, health and democracy. It also updates Ofcom’s statutory duty to promote media literacy, which includes raising awareness of misinformation and helping users assess the reliability of content.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department's responsibilities include media literacy.

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

The Government aims to improve media literacy through cross-government collaboration, educational initiatives and collaboration with Ofcom, civil society, and online platforms. This approach supports Ofcom's regulatory media literacy duties and promotes media literacy through broader policy initiatives and cross-sector collaboration.

As the lead department for media literacy, DSIT is committed to improving media literacy through coordinated cross-government work. DCMS contributes to this cross-government effort by supporting a free, sustainable and plural media landscape.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the conflict in Sudan on children.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The conflict in Sudan has had a devastating impact on civilians and especially women and children. According to UNICEF, six million children have become displaced and approximately 23 million children are exposed to violence, abuse and exploitation. Conflict Related Sexual Violence is endemic and young girls continue to be targeted. UNICEF also assessed that nearly 90 per cent of Sudan's school age children (17 million out of a total of 19 million children in Sudan) are no longer in school with armed violence cited as the main reason. The UK continues to support children through the UN-led Sudan Humanitarian Fund which provides support to local responders, such as the Emergency Response Rooms, who provide humanitarian assistance across Sudan. We also support UNICEF who are providing lifesaving nutrition programmes to some of the most vulnerable children. We consistently use our position as penholder at the UN Security Council on Sudan to push the warring parties to honour the Jeddah Declaration and uphold humanitarian law and protect civilians. As leader of the Core Group on Sudan at the UN Human Rights Council, we spearheaded the renewal of the Fact-Finding Mission's mandate which investigates human rights abuses and violations across Sudan. Those suspected of targeting, abusing or exploiting children must face justice.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what mechanism his Department has in place on utilising Deaf-led expertise on British Sign Language in AI procurement.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The procurement of Artificial intelligent tools as a result of a new or amended digital service requires compliance with the GDS Service Manual (https://www.gov.uk/service-manual) and a service assessment. This manual includes the inclusion of accessibility and assisted digital and user research, to ensure procurement decisions cover a range of accessibility needs, based on user feedback.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether procurement policy notes issued by his Department provide guidance on British Sign Language AI commissioning.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The procurement of Artificial intelligent tools as a result of a new or amended digital service requires compliance with the GDS Service Manual (https://www.gov.uk/service-manual) and a service assessment. This manual includes the inclusion of accessibility and assisted digital and user research, to ensure procurement decisions cover a range of accessibility needs, based on user feedback.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department incorporates (a) Deaf-led infrastructure investment and (b) linguistic inclusion in social value assessments for procurement.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office, in compliance with the Social Value Act 2012 and Procurement Policy Note 002 utilises the Government’s social value model toolkit to apply social value to all above-threshold procurements.

In practice, this involves selecting one out of eight Social Value Outcomes which is then evaluated as part of a procurement exercise. One of the choices which can be selected is 'Fair Work,' which, when selected, allows us to require suppliers to demonstrate benefits in deaf-led infrastructure investment and linguistic inclusion.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether British Sign Language AI procurement is subject to algorithmic impact assessments.

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

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.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what British Sign Language (BSL) standards are being used in (a) government and (b) public services in the commissioning of BSL AI.

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

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.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to provide oversight of the monitoring of the (a) quality of, (b) adequacy of engagement with deaf people and (b) other aspects of the deployment of British Sign Language AI systems in public services.

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

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.

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 monitor the quality of the deployment of British Sign Language AI across public services; and whether Deaf people have been consulted on that deployment.

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

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.

Found: pleased that I have been able to have regular meetings with Baroness Chapman and previously with Anneliese Dodds