Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of making the testing of AI models a legal requirement on the use of AI systems to create child sexual abuse material.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government is committed to tackling the creation of this atrocious material. Creating, possessing, or distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including AI Generated CSAM, is illegal. The Online Safety Act requires services to proactively identify and remove this content.
We are taking further action in the Crime and Policing Bill to criminalise CSAM image generators, and to ensure AI developers can directly test for and address vulnerabilities in their models which enable the production of CSAM.
The Government is clear: no option is off the table when it comes to protecting the online safety of users in the UK.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of making the testing of AI models a legal requirement to help prevent AI systems from being used to create child sexual abuse material.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government is committed to tackling the creation of this atrocious material. Creating, possessing, or distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including AI Generated CSAM, is illegal. The Online Safety Act requires services to proactively identify and remove this content.
We are taking further action in the Crime and Policing Bill to criminalise CSAM image generators, and to ensure AI developers can directly test for and address vulnerabilities in their models which enable the production of CSAM.
The Government is clear: no option is off the table when it comes to protecting the online safety of users in the UK.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what support her Department is providing to the Regulatory Innovation Office to help ensure greater commercial and non-military drone adoption.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The RIO is a key Government lever for achieving its transformative ambitions in regulatory innovation. It has been established as an in-house function within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
The RIO has been working in partnership with the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to deliver regulatory reform to support drone adoption and commercialisation since its founding in October 2024. In March 2025, RIO and DfT ministers agreed six priorities for the CAA’s regulation of drones, including an extension and simplification of airspace change processes and a commitment to develop options for electronic conspicuity (technology that allows aircraft to be digitally aware of one another). The RIO has supported the CAA to develop and expand its atypical air environments policy, making commercial activity possible using drones in airspace where there is low risk of collision with other aircraft. The RIO has provided funding to support the CAA’s efficiency by using AI in its drone approvals processes and to make drone deliveries in specific use cases, such as to Argyll & Bute, routine. The RIO has also worked with the CAA to publish a set of drone regulation performance metrics to ensure there is transparency for the sector. The RIO partnered with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to clear the regulatory pathway for drones to be adopted for commercial agricultural activities.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of joining Digital Europe on the UK’s digital economy.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
DSIT assesses any participation in Digital Europe against delivery of UK objectives and value for money for citizens and UK businesses. We are keeping decisions around participation in Digital Europe under review.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
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 Ofcom’s capacity to effectively implement the Online Safety Act 2023 in the context of the recent creation and publication of illegal explicit images and child sexual abuse material on X by xAI’s chatbot, Grok.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government is clear that no one should have to go through the ordeal of these horrendous images online. There are no excuses not to act, and services must deal with this.
Ofcom is the independent regulator for online safety and is responsible for scrutinising platforms’ risk assessments, requiring safety mitigations, and enforcing safety duties.
Ofcom has confirmed that they have opened an investigation into X and have our full backing to take necessary enforcement action.
Government meets Ofcom regularly to discuss online safety, and we continue to monitor outcomes through our joint evaluation programme.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she plans to take to include children’s perspectives in the policymaking process for generative AI.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This year, the government will be supporting a summit at Wilton Park on the impact of AI on childhood. This will bring together experts, technology companies, civil society and young people to explore how AI can benefit children without exposing them to harm.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how she will support children, parents and carers to understand the safe use and risks of generative AI tools.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Protecting children from harm online is a top priority for this government.
This year, the government will be supporting a NSPCC summit at Wilton Park on the impact of AI on childhood. This will bring together experts, technology companies, civil society and young people to explore how AI can benefit children without exposing them to harm.
Media literacy is also a key part of our approach, helping children and adults develop critical thinking skills to navigate the growing presence of AI-generated content. DSIT is working with the Department for Education to develop an online ‘parent hub’ providing guidance on media literacy and online safety.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what plans she has to fund (a) digital inclusion organisations and (b) community-based AI literacy programmes to support people who lack the skills or confidence to use AI-powered services; and what plans her Department has for funding lifelong learning programmes to support transitions towards increased AI use across workplaces.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world — from saving on everyday bills to finding better jobs and accessing vital services like the NHS.
That is why – as part of the First Steps confirmed in the Digital Inclusion Action Plan – we launched the £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund to help more people across the UK get the access, skills and confidence to get online. This included 85 community led projects in England.
Numerous projects are supporting people to build AI skills, such as the Age UK Westminster project improving AI literacy for older people, and Aston University and FutureDotNow delivering projects that support youth employability through digital inclusion.
This Fund will conclude by 31 March 2026.
More broadly, reducing the AI skills gap is critical for increasing the UK’s productivity and delivering long-term growth. That is why we are working with DfE and Skills England to assess the AI skills gap and map pathways to fill it, and last year announced a joint commitment with industry to upskill 7.5 million workers with vital AI skills.
Alongside this, DSIT is delivering the £187 million TechFirst programme that will support over 4,000 domestic graduates, researchers and innovators and engage 1 million students in digital skills and AI learning.
Lastly, following the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report last year, national curriculum will be updated to prepare young people for life and work in a changing world. The Government will embed digital, media and AI literacy across the curriculum, introduce a refreshed, broader computing GCSE, and integrate digital content into other subjects.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
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 impact of AI on digital exclusion; and what steps her Department are taking to ensure that (a) people without access to devices or data, (b) disabled people, and (c) those with limited digital literacy are not left behind as AI becomes integrated into essential services.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world — from saving on everyday bills to finding better jobs and accessing vital services like the NHS.
AI has the potential to transform the economy, how public services are delivered and people's lives, and the government is committed to ensuring people understand and benefit from this.
Last February we published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, setting out the government's first steps to ensure everyone in the UK – no matter their background – can fully participate in our digital society.
Since then, we have launched the £11.7 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, helping more people across the UK get the access, skills and confidence to get online. This supported a number of projects specifically focused on older and disabled people, and AI training and awareness.
We recognise that some people, including older or disabled people, may face barriers to building AI skills. DSIT is working with DfE and Skills England to assess the AI skills gap and map pathways to fill it. Last year we announced a joint commitment with industry to upskill 7.5 million workers with vital AI skills. We also announced the TechFirst programme, a £187m initiative to bring digital skills and AI learning into classrooms and communities to train people of all ages and backgrounds for future tech careers.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
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 agentic AI systems on high street businesses and retail employment levels.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
AI is transforming the world of work. The UK must act now to ensure this transformation boosts growth, productivity and opportunity—rather than deepening inequality or eroding job quality. The government is not standing still: we’re investing in skills, monitoring impacts, and working with employers and experts to make sure AI benefits everyone—not just a few.
AI can help give local businesses better insights and improve business efficiency. This government has introduced the Small Business Plan to help all businesses with new tools to unlock access to finance, action to address late payments and regulatory costs, improve digital adoption and create easier pathways to business support through the Business Growth Service regardless of their AI capability.