Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress he has made on improving broadband connectivity in rural areas.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Project Gigabit is the government’s programme to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to UK premises not included in suppliers' commercial plans.
As of the end of March 2024, over one million premises had been upgraded to gigabit-capable broadband through government-funded programmes.
More than £2.3 billion of contracts have already been signed to connect over one million more premises with gigabit-capable broadband, predominantly in rural areas.
Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions he has had with Ofcom on physical infrastructure access pricing for full fibre broadband.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Ofcom’s Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) framework supports market entry and expansion by alternative network operators via access to Openreach’s ducts, poles, and other utility infrastructure.
Ofcom has powers to impose access conditions on electronic communications networks, enabling third party infrastructure access on fair and reasonable terms, conditions and charges, and without undue discrimination.
My officials meet with Ofcom on a regular basis to discuss a range of regulatory issues including PIA. The Government supports this framework but will not intervene in independent Ofcom decisions regarding fee pricing structure or the adequacy of the current level of fees.
Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
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 adequacy of the current level of Physical Infrastructure Access fees.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Ofcom’s Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) framework supports market entry and expansion by alternative network operators via access to Openreach’s ducts, poles, and other utility infrastructure.
Ofcom has powers to impose access conditions on electronic communications networks, enabling third party infrastructure access on fair and reasonable terms, conditions and charges, and without undue discrimination.
My officials meet with Ofcom on a regular basis to discuss a range of regulatory issues including PIA. The Government supports this framework but will not intervene in independent Ofcom decisions regarding fee pricing structure or the adequacy of the current level of fees.
Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
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 effectiveness of the distribution of funding for research and development across (a) England, (b) Norfolk and (c) South West Norfolk constituency.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
DSIT's R&D budget is rising to £13.9 billion for the 2025/26 financial year, a real terms increase of 8.5% compared to 2024/25. This will include investments in our R&D system in every region of the UK.
In 2023/24, UKRI invested £8,357 million in England, £141 million in Norfolk and £0.5 million in South West Norfolk.
UKRI’s investments in Norfolk include £317 million for Norwich Research Park to establish a pioneering plant and microbial research hub by 2030.
Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
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 levels of media literacy skills on (a) the employability and (b) workplace readiness of young people.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
According to the Essential Digital Skills Framework, media literacy-related skills, including understanding online risks, are essential for work. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has worked with FutureDotNow to analyse the benefits of essential digital skills for earnings and employability, with findings being published shortly.
The Digital Inclusion Action Plan outlines steps towards delivering digital inclusion and media literacy for everyone in the UK. The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is also considering how young people will acquire the digital skills needed for future life, with the interim report highlighting the need for a renewed focus on media literacy.
Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
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 improve access to media literacy education.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology coordinates media literacy activity across government, including in its approach to digital inclusion which integrates policy on digital skills and media literacy. The Digital Inclusion Action Plan outlines steps to support community initiatives for boosting digital skills and media literacy.
In formal education, the government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review which aims to ensure a rich, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work. The Review’s interim report, published in March, highlights the need for a focus on media literacy in response to evolving technological challenges.
Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
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 protect the use of children’s personal data on social media.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We are taking steps in the Data (Use and Access Bill) to require the ICO to have regard to the fact that children merit specific protection because they may be less aware of the risks in relation to the processing of their personal data. The ICO will need to take account of the new duty when carrying out its regulatory functions – for example, when providing guidance for organisations and enforcing the legislation.
We have also placed a similar duty on Information Society Service providers likely to be accessed by children. These providers will now have clear legal duties to consider how best to protect and support children when designing their data processing activities. Providers will be assisted to comply with the new duty by the ICO’s Age Appropriate Design Code, which provides practical guidance for relevant providers on complying with their obligations under the data protection legislation in relation to children who are likely to access those services.
Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when he plans to publish the Copyright and Artificial Intelligence Governance consultation.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government published its consultation on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence (AI) on 17 December 2024. This closed on 25 February 2025.
The Government’s priority now is to review all responses to the consultation, to help inform its approach to copyright and AI. The Government will continue to engage extensively as it considers next steps, and its proposals will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
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 ensure copyright protections remain (a) robust and (b) fit for purpose from artificial intelligence.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Copying protected material in the UK will infringe copyright unless it is licensed, or an exception to copyright applies.
The Government recently consulted on several topics relating to the interaction between copyright and artificial intelligence (AI), including seeking views on a range of approaches to clarify copyright law for both the creative industries and AI innovators.
This consultation closed on 25th February.
The Government’s priority now is to review all responses to the consultation, to help inform its next steps. The Government will continue to engage extensively on this issue and its proposals will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department has taken to ensure Project Gigabit improves broadband speeds in South West Norfolk constituency.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
According to the independent website Thinkbroadband.com, over 96% of premises in the South West Norfolk constituency can access superfast broadband speeds (>=30 Mbps) and over 59% have access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection (>1000 Mbps).
To improve this coverage further, CityFibre is delivering a Project Gigabit contract in Norfolk, targeted at bringing fast, reliable broadband to premises in hard-to-reach areas that are unlikely to be otherwise reached by suppliers’ commercial rollout. Approximately 5,000 premises in South West Norfolk are currently included within this contract.