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, whether Northern Ireland will receive funding from Cyber Local in 2025-26.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As of April 2025, the way that Devolved Administrations (DAs) receive funding for cyber security has changed. Previously ringfenced cyber budgets will be absorbed into departmental baselines and provided directly to DAs in their overall HM Treasury settlement.
The revised funding arrangements further support DAs, including the Northern Ireland Executive, to make their own choices about how to champion the cyber sector in each part of the UK. DSIT will continue to engage with the Northern Ireland Executive on how to assist the cyber sector, including through the Cyber Local programme.
DSIT continues to support the successful cyber ecosystem in Northern Ireland with key investments such as the Cyber AI Hub programme at Queen’s University Belfast.
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, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of including Northern Ireland as an eligible region for Cyber Local funding in 2025-26.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As of April 2025, the way that Devolved Administrations (DAs) receive funding for cyber security has changed. Previously ringfenced cyber budgets will be absorbed into departmental baselines and provided directly to DAs in their overall HM Treasury settlement.
The revised funding arrangements further support DAs, including the Northern Ireland Executive, to make their own choices about how to champion the cyber sector in each part of the UK. DSIT will continue to engage with the Northern Ireland Executive on how to assist the cyber sector, including through the Cyber Local programme.
DSIT continues to support the successful cyber ecosystem in Northern Ireland with key investments such as the Cyber AI Hub programme at Queen’s University Belfast.
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, what governance arrangements are in place for the Cyber Local fund in Northern Ireland; and what steps he plans to take to allow local groups in Northern Ireland to provide input into the initiative.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
For the 2024/25 Cyber Local pilot, regional steering groups were established to review expressions of interest from potential applicants. The Northern Ireland steering group comprised individuals from industry, academia, and the NI Executive, and was responsible for ensuring that proposals met a local need and did not duplicate existing interventions. Endorsement from the steering group was a prerequisite for accessing a Cyber Local grant via Innovate UK.
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.