Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential use of Artificial Intelligence in the health sector to improve patient outcomes.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
DSIT is working closely with Departments, including DHSC, to support better adoption of AI. For example, through the £21m AI Diagnostics fund, DHSC is supporting the deployment of technologies in high-demand areas such as chest X-Ray and chest CT scans to enable faster diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer in over half of acute trusts in England.
At the recent International Investment Summit, over £24 billion of investment was pledged to harness the opportunity AI offers. DSIT will continue working closely with Cabinet colleagues to ensure AI is safely deployed to deliver service enhancements, earlier diagnostics and improved patient outcomes.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help ensure benefits of technological development are felt by all demographics.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Digital inclusion is a priority for Government. It means ensuring everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to engage in our modern digital society, whatever their circumstances. I know that digital exclusion disproportionately impacts certain demographics, including older people, those with disabilities and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, creating new inequalities and exacerbating existing ones. As we develop our approach on tackling this issue we will be working closely with the third and private sector and local authorities to ensure interventions are targeted to individual needs.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to increase investment in women-led start up technology businesses.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This Government is committed to strengthening diversity in the tech sector, including supporting female-led start-ups, and has made breaking down barriers to opportunity one of our five national missions.
Programmes like DSIT’s £12m Digital Growth Grant and Innovate UK’s Women in Innovation Awards are supporting female-led businesses through grants and wider business support.
In September, the Chancellor announced Government support for the Invest in Women Taskforce. The Taskforce aims to establish a funding pool of more than £250 million for female-founded businesses through private capital, making it one of the world’s largest investment funding pools aimed solely at female founders.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on artificial intelligence and its role in economic growth.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers great economic potential for the whole of the UK.
The UK’s AI Sector was valued at £72.3bn in 2024 - larger than any country in Europe. Forecasts suggest it could eventually be worth over £800 billion by 2035.The AI Opportunities Action Plan will outline recommendations for Government, to harness AI's potential, including boosting economic growth, productivity, and job quality through widespread AI adoption.
DSIT's Secretary of State collaborates closely with cabinet colleagues on AI-related matters.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to widen access to digital skills training.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Digital skills are a priority for the Government’s missions to kickstart economic growth and break down barriers to opportunity. We are working across government departments to widen access to digital skills training as part of our wider approach to digital inclusion. We are also engaging with key industry partners through the Digital Skills Council to ensure the digital skills system is joined up and comprehensive, and that it meets the needs of both employers and individuals, across the UK.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help improve digital connectivity in rural areas.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to the rollout of fast, reliable broadband to all parts of the UK. Through Project Gigabit, there are 36 contracts in place, set to connect over 1 million homes and businesses that would otherwise miss out, with more contracts to be awarded in the coming months.
We are also working with the UK’s four mobile network operators to deliver the Shared Rural Network, improving 4G mobile broadband connectivity for people living, working and visiting the UK’s rural areas.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help support female-led tech start-ups.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This Government is committed to strengthening diversity in the tech sector, including supporting female-led start-ups, and has made breaking down barriers to opportunity one of our five national missions.
Programmes like DSIT’s £12m Digital Growth Grant and Innovate UK’s Women in Innovation Awards are supporting female-led businesses through grants and wider business support.
In September, the Chancellor announced Government support for the Invest in Women Taskforce. The Taskforce aims to establish a funding pool of more than £250 million for female-founded businesses through private capital, making it one of the world’s largest investment funding pools aimed solely at female founders.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
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 increasing funding for digital connectivity in rural areas.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
As outlined in the Autumn Budget, we are continuing to drive progress in improving broadband and mobile coverage across the country, including in rural areas, confirming over £500 million of funding for next year (in 2025‑26).
We are committed to Project Gigabit and its goal of achieving nationwide gigabit coverage by 2030. Through the Shared Rural Network, we will also improve 4G coverage to at least 95% of the UK by the end of 2025.
The government is continuing to consider alternative ways to improve connectivity for those not due to be covered by existing government programmes or commercial activity.