Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
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 potential merits of requiring internet service providers to carry out age verification checks rather than individual websites.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Online Safety Act makes online services responsible for protecting all users from illegal content and activity, and children from harmful content. Under the Act, services must use age assurance to prevent children encountering the most harmful content. We recognise that there may be benefits to internet service provider-level interventions. We have recently brought into effect the new measures and wish to allow time to assess the Act’s effectiveness before introducing additional measures. Where evidence demonstrates that further action is necessary to protect children and the wider public, we will not hesitate to act.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that households that have no (a) mobile and (b) broadband internet are not excluded from accessing (i) government services and (ii) benefits.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Digital inclusion is a priority for this government and in February 2025, we published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan. One of the actions in the plan is ensuring accessible digital public services. As part of this industry partners have committed to provide free mobile data to individuals in need and support community hubs to provide free Wi-Fi.
In addition, households in receipt of means-tested benefits can access social tariffs for broadband and mobile services from a wide range of providers.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
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 ensure individual personal data is secure.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
All organisations in the UK that process personal data have to comply with the requirements of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA). Amongst other things, the legislation requires organisations to have appropriate technical and security measures in place to protect personal data against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction, or damage.
Under the Data (Use and Access) Act, the Information Commissioner, the UK’s independent regulator for data protection, will have strengthened enforcement powers to hold organisations accountable in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the evidential basis is that MBR Acres is critical to pandemic preparedness.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The UK government’s approach to pandemic preparedness is contained in the Health and Care Research and Development Framework for Pandemic Preparedness, Prevention and Response which includes the need for a resilient pre-clinical research infrastructure. The necessity for the use of animals in pre-clinical research, where no validated alternative exists, is a product of the Human Medicine Regulations 2012. MBR Acres is the only UK supplier of research dogs, which are currently essential for pre-clinical safety testing, and as such is a critical part of national pre-clinical research infrastructure.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing financial penalties on companies that replace more than 10% of their workforce with AI.
Answered by Feryal Clark
We are working to harness the benefits that AI can bring – such as productivity gains, rising living standards, and improved worker wellbeing; while mitigating the risks. Government is planning for a range of plausible outcomes and closely monitoring the data that will help us track and prepare for these.
The Get Britain Working White Paper from DWP, HMT and DfE also sets out how government will address key labour market challenges. We will continue to work closely with these and other government departments through the AI Opportunities Action Plan on this rapidly developing area.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to take steps to ensure that the use of AI does not lead to large scale job losses.
Answered by Feryal Clark
A technology as transformative as AI will inevitably have an impact on the UK labour market. The Get Britain Working White Paper sets out how we will address key labour market challenges and spread opportunity.
A key element of the AI Opportunities Action Plan, and our broader work on education, is focused on ensuring citizens have the right skills to adopt and take advantage of AI capabilities.
We are working across government to understand and address the challenges and opportunities that AI presents.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what his policy is on the future of the Digital Growth Grant after April 2025.
Answered by Feryal Clark
The DSIT settlement of £15.1 billion in 2025/26 announced at the October Budget provides the investment required to further the UK’s science and technology ambitions. DSIT is undertaking an internal allocations process to set 2025/26 budgets but until then, we cannot confirm future funding decisions. Programmes such as the SEIS/EIS schemes, R&D Tax Credits and various visa routes demonstrate the UK’s commitment to supporting tech companies in thriving in the UK. DSIT further continues to unlock investment in the tech sector, through the British Growth Partnership, the National Wealth Fund and the Pensions Review.