Tristan Osborne

The Government’s Digital and Technologies Sector Plan outlined £670 million of investment to accelerate the development and adoption of quantum computing through our quantum computing mission. It also backed our flagship National Quantum Computing Centre with a 10-year budget, providing them with long term certainty to expand activity and demonstrating Government’s commitment to the sector.

In 2024 we launched five quantum technology hubs, including a dedicated hub for quantum computing based at the University of Oxford. This brings together researchers from universities across Great Britain with industry partners, collaborating to progress quantum computing research and develop a skilled workforce.

UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act impose obligations on data controllers – including third-party providers - to process data fairly, lawfully, and transparently.

The OSA also requires all providers to give particular regard to the importance of protecting users’ privacy rights when implementing measures to comply with their new safety duties, including age assurance and any content moderation measures.

The ICO has responsibility for monitoring and enforcing the application of data protection legislation in the UK. It has a range of tough criminal and civil enforcement tools at its disposal, including powers of prosecution and powers to issue substantial monetary penalties for serious breaches of the data protection legislation.

While there are legitimate reasons for using VPNs, services that deliberately target UK children and promote VPN use to circumvent online safety measures could face enforcement action under the Online Safety Act. Some VPNs may present security or privacy risks, so users are advised to exercise caution when using VPNs.

Government and Ofcom will monitor the impact of potential circumvention techniques on the effectiveness of the Online Safety Act and will consider further options if necessary.

The forthcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will strengthen the UK’s existing cyber regulatory framework (the Network and Information Systems (NIS) Regulations 2018) by protecting more digital and essential services, putting regulators on a stronger footing, and increasing reporting requirements.

The NIS Regulations covers five sectors (transport, energy, drinking water, health, digital infrastructure) and some digital services (online marketplaces, online search engines, cloud computing services). Where a public body delivers these services, such as NHS Trusts, they are in scope of the NIS Regulations.

The Bill will include powers that will enable more services and sectors to be brought into scope of regulation in the future, where this is considered necessary to address emerging risks.

The upcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will strengthen our defences and ensure that more essential and digital services are protected than ever.

The Bill will require regulated entities to take proportionate steps to address vulnerabilities in our digital economy and protect our essential services against cyber attacks. We will work closely with industry, public sector organisations and regulators to support organisations in complying with their new obligations under the Bill.

By safeguarding our nation's essential services and digital infrastructure, we will create a stable environment in which investment and innovation can thrive.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That’s why the Government is investing £85 million throughout 2026/27 through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme to build and upgrade pitches and facilities UK wide.

Since FY 24/25, DCMS has distributed £12,713 to support the improvement of grassroots footballing facilities in Chatham and Aylesford: supporting investment in floodlights at Wouldham All-Saints CEP School and goalposts at Lordswood Sports and Social Club, Larkfield Sports Club and Swingate Primary School.

We are working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what grassroots sports facilities each community needs to inform future investment.

The Creative Industries Sector Plan sets out this Government’s 10-year plan to tackle barriers to growth and maximise opportunities across the sector, with the aim of making the UK the number one destination for creativity and innovation by 2035. The plan sets out how Government and industry are working together to grow a creative workforce that supports job creation and drives economic growth in this high-potential sector, through an education and skills system aligned with business needs. The Plan has been designed in collaboration with business, Devolved Governments, and regions, with the Creative Industries Taskforce also playing a crucial role in gathering wider views from across industry.

The Plan includes delivering a curriculum in England that readies young people for life and work, including in creative subjects and relevant skills. The Independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is one of the ways that Government will deliver on the commitment to reform the system for the benefit of the creative talent pipeline. The Review has a focus on all subjects in the national curriculum and is being informed by evidence, data and in close consultation with education professionals and other experts. This includes over 7,000 responses to the public call for evidence, including from the creative industries. The Review final report and Government response will be published in the autumn.

The Government recently announced £5.5 million funding for the UK Games Fund (UKGF) for the financial year 2025/26 to support early-stage games studios and talent. This funding will support all existing strands of the UKGF, including the Tranzfuser programme.

The UKGF is administered by UK Games Talent and Finance Community Interest Company which works closely with DCMS on the fund’s design and delivery.

The government is investing £200 million in a new special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and inclusion training package to help teachers, leaders, teaching assistants and support staff across early years settings, schools and colleges feel more confident supporting children and young people with SEND. The programme forms an important part of the government’s plans to improve inclusion and expertise across mainstream education settings.

The SEND teacher training programme will be delivered in phases, and the department has set out a timeline for the key elements.

From late September, the department will publish free in-house training materials to help all staff in schools and colleges to understand proposed SEND reforms, build a shared vision for inclusion, and plan professional development for the rest of the year. The first phase of the early years training programme is also available from September.

In December and spring 2027, the department will publish further materials covering pedagogy, creating inclusive environments and working with parents.

In Autumn 2027, we will launch new fully funded SEND and inclusion training courses for teachers, leaders, teaching assistants and further education support staff in mainstream schools. A more comprehensive early years offer will also launch at this point, including in-depth webinars and local support networks.

When used effectively, technology can play a key role in helping children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to achieve and thrive in mainstream education. Many teachers and educators already use digital tools to remove barriers to learning, build confidence and independence, and support inclusion.

The department is helping schools and colleges make informed decisions about adopting technology, including AI-enabled tools. For example, we have published guidance on ‘Generative AI: product safety standards’ for edtech developers and suppliers, setting out the standards these products should meet for use in education. Schools and colleges may also use this guidance to assess whether AI-enabled technologies are appropriate and safe for use in their settings. The guidance is accessible at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/generative-ai-product-safety-standards/generative-ai-product-safety-standards.

In addition, the department is investing £24 million over four years in the Education Endowment Foundation EdTech Testbed Programme to build a robust evidence base on the impact of innovative technology in schools and colleges, including their potential to improve inclusion and outcomes for learners with SEND.

The department is working closely with the Thinking Schools Academy Trust to remove reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete at Holcombe Grammar School, formerly Chatham Grammar School for Boys.

The Trust confirmed in May that the first phase of works has been completed. Proposals for a second, more complex area have been submitted and will proceed shortly.

Departmental officials continue to support the Trust to progress the project as quickly as possible whilst minimising disruption to education.

On 21 May 2026, the government announced that it is investing over £1 billion in school sports over the next three years, including funding for the new Partnerships Network, improvements to school sports facilities and transitional support for primary schools while we move to the new approach.

The Network will provide practical, targeted support to help schools increase participation. This includes coaching, swimming provision and support to open facilities and stronger links to extra‑curricular sport and local clubs. Schools will also receive funding to test and share effective practice, alongside more accessible programmes from National Governing Bodies and clearer pathways into community sport.

Support will align more closely with wider programmes and include competitive sport opportunities and inclusive events for less‑active pupils. Detailed design and funding allocations will be confirmed through the procurement process.

Schools and colleges have a critical role to play in protecting children and keeping them safe. Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE), available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2, is the statutory guidance that all schools and colleges must have when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

The statutory curriculum for health education requires all pupils in state-maintained schools to be taught the facts about legal and illegal harmful substances and the associated risks to physical and mental wellbeing, including smoking, alcohol use and drug-taking.

By the end of secondary school, pupils should know the facts about which drugs are illegal, the risks of taking illegal drugs, including the increased risk of potent synthetic drugs being added to illegal drugs, the risks of illicit vapes containing drugs, illicit drugs and counterfeit medicines, and the potential health harms, including the link to poor mental health.

This complements content about substances within the national curriculum for science.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) consulted last year on fisheries byelaws to restrict bottom trawling in a further 41 Marine Protected Areas. These proposals are substantial, covering 30,000 square kilometres or 13% of English waters and we must ensure we get them right. The MMO is carefully considering the very large number of responses received to the consultation, and decisions will be made in due course.

Internationally, we remain a leading advocate for ambitious ocean action. We continue to share the lessons we are learning from our UK experience through our membership of key alliances, whilst our scientific expertise, international finance and technical assistance continues to deliver real impact globally.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) consulted last year on fisheries byelaws to restrict bottom trawling in a further 41 Marine Protected Areas. These proposals are substantial, covering 30,000 square kilometres or 13% of English waters and we must ensure we get them right. The MMO is carefully considering the very large number of responses received to the consultation, and decisions will be made in due course.

Internationally, we remain a leading advocate for ambitious ocean action. We continue to share the lessons we are learning from our UK experience through our membership of key alliances, whilst our scientific expertise, international finance and technical assistance continues to deliver real impact globally.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) consulted last year on fisheries byelaws to restrict bottom trawling in a further 41 Marine Protected Areas. These proposals are substantial, covering 30,000 square kilometres or 13% of English waters and we must ensure we get them right. The MMO is carefully considering the very large number of responses received to the consultation, and decisions will be made in due course.

Internationally, we remain a leading advocate for ambitious ocean action. We continue to share the lessons we are learning from our UK experience through our membership of key alliances, whilst our scientific expertise, international finance and technical assistance continues to deliver real impact globally.

Defra has asked the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) to increase the frequency of its fertiliser price reporting. AHDB now publishes data on their Fertiliser Price page weekly, giving farmers more up‑to‑date information to help with decision‑making. This will give farmers more timely and transparent information to support their decision-making.

Defra wants to support farmers to increase their resilience to future fertiliser price volatility by maximising the use of nutrients from both mineral fertilisers and organic materials such as slurry. Defra’s Nutrient Management Planning Tool is a free resource to help farmers plan and manage nutrient use and reduce costs by matching inputs to crop and soil needs.

Defra has committed £120 million in funding starting in 2026 to improve productivity, trial new technologies and drive innovation in the agricultural sector. This includes up to £50 million for Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) grants (for the 2026 scheme covering productivity, slurry and animal health and welfare) and up to £70 million available for Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) innovation grants.

This funding can help farmers use nutrients from fertilisers and their own organic materials most effectively to increase resilience.

This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is designed out. This systemic change, with investment in green jobs and vital infrastructure, builds a path to economic growth, progress towards Net Zero, restoration of nature, and a more resilient economy.

The Government convened a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts to help map that transition; we will soon publish a Circular Economy Growth Plan that sets out how government will deliver a more circular and more prosperous economy.

The Plan will set out the biggest opportunities to support growth in sectors right across the economy, including chemicals and plastics, as well as: agri-food; built environment; electrical and electronic equipment; textiles; and transport. It will consider critical enablers such including skills and infrastructure.

Defra, in collaboration with experts across Government, industry, academia and relevant non-governmental organisations, will assess what further interventions may be needed across the chemical and materials science and engineering sectors, including any interventions on skills and infrastructure.

We have noted the report Jobs and skills for a circular economy: a cross-sector perspective from the chemical and materials science and engineering communities, by the Institution of Chemical Engineers, the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, and the Royal Society of Chemistry. The report reflects our emphasis on skills development and the chemicals and plastics sector to support the transition towards a circular economy.

Kent County Council, who are promoting and managing the scheme, are developing an Outline Business Case which they expect to submit to the Department in December 2026.

The Government has confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment into local highways maintenance over the next four years. As part of this, Medway Council is eligible to receive over £25 million over the next four years. This funding is provided to local authorities to maintain all parts of the highway network, including tunnels, carriageways, bridges, cycleways, lighting columns and footways.

Further to this, the Department launched the Structures Fund on 15 April. This new fund will support the capital costs of repairing or replacing local highway structures such as bridges, flyovers and tunnels. Local highway authorities have until 3 August 2026 to put forward proposals for investment.

We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Germany and with Switzerland to pave the way for further direct rail connections to mainland Europe

As part of these agreements, we have established formal working groups with both countries, involving relevant authorities from both government and industry, to tackle the barriers to enabling direct international rail services, including technical barriers and requirements for border and security controls. These working groups include discussions on all international stations in the UK including Kent stations.

Separately, we are supporting an industry-led working group to establish the next steps required to remobilise the Kent stations on the High Speed 1 line to facilitate the aspirations of potential new entrants to serve these stations in future.

My Department is progressing a project to reduce the height of the three masts on the SS Richard Montgomery, which will reduce stress on the wreck. This project is currently in the process of procuring a salvage contractor to deliver this work and expects to have this contract in place in 2026.

As this is live planning application that is yet to be decided, unfortunately I cannot comment in detail at this time. The Secretary of State will assess all evidence provided to her, by the applicant, the Examining Authority, and any parties who chose to make written representations. This will include information on economic impacts. Once the decision is made, the decision letter will set out the full rationale.