Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
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 effectiveness of the Online Safety Act 2023 for preventing fraud.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Online Safety Act now requires in-scope platforms to implement effective measures to prevent illegal fraudulent user-generated content and activity. Ofcom has launched an enforcement programme to monitor compliance with the illegal content duties and a consultation to strengthen codes of practice, including proposals for automated tools to detect illegal content, including fraud. Additionally, the largest user-to-user and search services (Category 1 and 2A) must tackle paid-for fraudulent ads once the relevant codes are in force.
The Government is required to review the effectiveness of the online safety framework, two to five years after key provisions have come into force.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, which organisations have been invited to meet his Department in plenary sessions to discuss the intellectual property rights of creative industries.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government has committed to establishing stakeholder working groups to inform the development of policy on copyright and AI.
In line with debates in Parliament on the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, the Secretaries of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport are convening the first meeting of these stakeholder working groups on 16th July. The Government will publish details and a list of working group members in due course.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
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 adequacy of mobile phone signal on westbound rail routes from London.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Having travelled westbound from London to Wales and back again on a weekly basis for twenty four years I know how poor the signal is. That is why I am delighted that DfT have secured funding to introduce low-earth-orbit satellite connectivity on all mainline trains, significantly improving both the availability and internet data connection speeds for Wi-Fi connected passengers.
Ofcom, the independent telecoms regulator, is responsible for reporting on the coverage of mobile networks in the UK. In 2019, Ofcom published data on mobile signal strength along UK railways based on measurement equipment installed on ‘yellow trains’. The Department for Transport and Network Rail are currently repeating this coverage measurement exercise. Ofcom continue to explore the feasibility of reporting on coverage on trains in the most relevant way.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when he plans to publish a response to the Copyright and Artificial Intelligence consultation, which closed on 25 February 2025.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government’s consultation on copyright and AI received over 11,500 responses. Our priority now is to review these thoroughly to help inform its approach to copyright and AI, and a response will be published when this work has been completed.
Meanwhile, the Government will continue to engage extensively as it considers next steps.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Government's decision not to sign the declaration on inclusive and sustainable artificial intelligence on the UK's reputation internationally.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We agreed with much of the Leaders’ Declaration and continue to work closely with our international partners. The UK worked hard to agree text in the Leaders’ Declaration that reflected our commitment to balance opportunity with security when it comes to AI, but unfortunately we were not able to reach agreement on all parts of the declaration. It is important to note that the UK worked closely with the French team throughout and signed other agreements at the Summit on sustainability, cybersecurity and the impact of AI on the workforce.
We remain a very close partner to France on all aspects of AI, and an active and eager participant in all future AI Summits which were started at Bletchley Park in November 2023.
The UK is also continuing to take an active role in international AI discussions – including working bilaterally and through fora such as the G7, G20, OECD-Global Partnership on AI (GPAI), the United Nations and Council of Europe.