Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will take steps to prevent social media companies adjusting network algorithms to promote actions by users (a) favouring political (i) candidates and (ii) outcomes and (b) who are potential national security threats.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Online Safety Act gives platforms duties to tackle illegal content. The regulator, Ofcom, has outlined steps providers can take to fulfil these duties in codes of practice, including recommending steps for stopping illegal foreign interference and terrorism content being promoted via algorithms. These duties should be in effect by spring 2025.
The Act will also require all services to have clear, accessible Terms of Service (ToS) and will require Category 1 services to state what legal content for adults is not accepted. Companies must have effective reporting mechanisms, enabling users to raise concerns about enforcement of ToS, if they feel companies are not fulfilling their duties.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
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 impact of trends in the level of reliance on Starlink in the (a) private and (b) public sectors; what steps he is taking to help increase competition in satellite technologies.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The government acknowledges rapid evolutions in the global satellite communications sector. Monopoly rarely serves the public interest and a competitive market is important to ensuring public and private sector value. We are keen to secure UK leadership in commercial satellite communications, which is why the UK has:
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to introduce fines for social media companies for failure to remove online material which incites violence.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Online Safety Act 2023 places duties on user to user services to proactively mitigate the risk that their services are used for illegal activity or to share illegal content. This includes content that incites violence and content which stirs up religious or racial hatred. The Act is currently being implemented. Ofcom will have a broad range of powers to assess and enforce compliance with the Act, including issuing fines to services that do not comply of up to £18m or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue in the relevant year, whichever is higher.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will hold discussions with mobile phone manufacturers on encouraging the development of phones that are disabled when their users are driving motorised vehicles.
Answered by Julia Lopez
We appreciate that phones deactivating when entering a motorised vehicle would ensure consumers’ compliance with existing laws regarding the use of mobile phones while driving. However, the Government currently has no plans to discuss this issue with mobile phone manufacturers. It is important to recognise it is not possible to determine whether the owner of a mobile device is driving or a passenger within a vehicle, and so automatic disabling features are likely to be difficult to create with accuracy.
Most Android and iPhones already have ‘do not disturb’ or ‘drive mode’ features embedded within their operating systems, which can activate automatically once a device connects to a car’s Bluetooth network.
While mobile phones are a vital part of modern life and business, drivers must always use them safely and responsibly.
The Government amended the offence of using a hand-held mobile phone while driving in March 2022. The offence is now triggered by any use of a hand-held mobile phone while driving, reflecting the real world where smart phones or devices are used not only for calls and texting.
The change in the law in 2022 has made it easier for the police to enforce this offence as they no longer have to prove that any use they identified from the roadside involved calls and texting.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
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 (a) make older people aware of Gigabit vouchers and (b) enable older people to access Gigabit vouchers.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The UK’s Digital Strategy published in 2022 is clear that HMG has a “vision to enable everyone, from every industry and across the UK, to benefit from all that digital innovation can offer”.
The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme is led by broadband suppliers, who are encouraged to communicate directly with communities to increase local awareness of the voucher scheme and develop potential projects. Suppliers are then responsible for communicating with beneficiaries as any project progresses.
An address checker is available for all consumers to find out whether they are eligible for a voucher at: https://gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk/.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when she plans to publish the UK Semiconductor Strategy.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has been reviewing the UK government’s approach to the semiconductor sector and intends to set out its plans for the sector in the forthcoming UK Semiconductor Strategy. The Strategy will be published as soon as possible.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will hold discussions with her counterparts in the G7 on the oversight and regulation of (a) nation-state and (b) private sector developed artificial intelligence technologies.
Answered by Paul Scully
G7 ministerial discussions concerning the oversight and regulation of AI are well advanced. On 29-30 April 2023, the Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy attended the G7 Digital Ministerial meeting in Japan, where the UK agreed to the G7 Digital Ministerial Declaration. The Declaration emphasises the importance of responsible AI and global AI governance, and endorses an Action Plan for promoting global interoperability between tools for trustworthy AI and for cooperating on upcoming AI opportunities and challenges.
Active engagement in the G7, as well as other international fora, is a key priority for the Government. We recognise the need to shape the development and governance of AI both at a domestic and international level, as highlighted in the AI Regulation White Paper and the International Technology Strategy, both published in March 2023. We will continue to collaborate with our G7 counterparts to shape the global AI landscape, achieving the right balance between responding to risks and maximising opportunities afforded by AI.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she is taking steps to improve mobile phone signal strength and coverage in Shropshire.
Answered by John Whittingdale
This Government is taking steps to improve both 4G and 5G coverage across the country.
With industry, we are investing £1 billion in the Shared Rural Network (SRN) to extend 4G coverage to 95% of the UK landmass by the end of 2025. Shropshire will see coverage improvements to partial not-spots areas where there is coverage from one but not all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), and to total not-spots where there is no coverage from any operator.
In our recently published Wireless Infrastructure Strategy (11 April 2023), we have set a new ambition for nationwide coverage of standalone 5G in all populated areas by 2030.
We have also taken steps to make it easier and cheaper for operators to deploy 4G and 5G wireless connectivity by reforming the planning system in England. Alongside this, measures within the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022, will support upgrades of sites to 5G.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will discuss with (a) Ofcom and (b) the Competition Commission potential measures to increase competition and diversity of supply in the provision of commercial and retail cloud data and storage services.
Answered by Julia Lopez
Fair competition and diversity of supply in the cloud sector is important for our country's economic growth. On 5 April, Ofcom proposed to refer the market to the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) (previously the Competition Commission) for further investigation into competition issues it has identified as part of its market study into cloud services. Ofcom is consulting on that referral.
If the CMA takes forward a market investigation, the CMA could choose to intervene in the market using its existing competition powers or through the new powers it will be granted via the upcoming Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill. The CMA is an operationally independent regulator and any intervention it makes in this market would be at its own discretion.
The Government regularly engages with its regulators and will continue to do so to ensure that the cloud services market remains competitive.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will hold discussions with international car manufacturers about the potential inclusion of TikTok products in cars manufactured in the UK; and if she will make an assessment with her Cabinet colleagues of the potential implications of the inclusion of such products in UK manufactured cars for the (a) privacy and (b) security of individual car users in the UK.
Answered by Paul Scully
All companies operating in the UK that process customer data are required to fully comply with our privacy laws (UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA18). Organisations which fail to comply may be investigated by the Information Commissioner’s Office and where appropriate subject to enforcement action, including fines.