Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North 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 compare the quality of consumer mobile phone signal in specific geographic areas against the quality of service assurances published by mobile network providers.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
The regulator, Ofcom, is responsible for reporting on mobile network coverage across the UK. Ofcom’s reporting in their Connected Nations reports and the coverage maps available in the ‘Map Your Mobile’ tool, is based primarily on coverage predictions from the mobile network operators (MNOs).
The Map Your Mobile tool includes crowdsourced data that indicates network performance at a postcode district level. In parallel, through the Mobile Market Review, Government is exploring how ‘good’ quality coverage and quality of service should be defined.
If a consumer believes that the service they receive does not reflect the coverage or service information provided by their operator, they should contact their provider. Providers are required to have clear complaints procedures and to be members of an independent Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what criteria she will use to designate social media platforms included in a ban for those under 16 years of age; and whether she will regularly review the criteria for inclusion.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
Keeping children safe online is a priority for this government. That is why the Secretary of State announced a ban on social media platforms offering their services to under-16s.
We aim to use the same model as Australia. This means capturing user to user platforms, whose purpose is to enable social interaction, which allow users to post material alongside algorithms. A narrowly defined list of exemptions, including messaging and educational services, will also be set out and kept under review.
The Secretary of State will set out the final criteria in regulations that she brings forward before the end of 2026.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the Government plans to publish (a) Keeling Schedules and (b) implementation dates for the changes that have not had immediate effect made by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 to the Data Protection Act 2018, UK GDPR and PECR.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government does not plan to publish Keeling Schedules illustrating how measures in the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 amend the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations. However, we have published information about each measure, which legislative provisions they amend, and plans for commencement dates, on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/data-use-and-access-act-2025
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what meetings his Department has had with animal rights organisations on guidance on animal testing since 1 January 2025.
Answered by Feryal Clark
The Labour Manifesto commits to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”. The Government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year. To support this Minister Vallance hosted a roundtable on 14.05.25 with representatives from animal welfare organisations. He also met with the Chair of All-Party Parliamentary Group on phasing out animal experiments in medical research and representatives from Animal Free Research on 01.04.25, and with representatives from Lush UK on 15.05.25. There have been additional meetings before 01.01.25.