Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether under-16s will be able to access political content on social media.

Government recognises the importance of young people being civically engaged.

On 15 June, the government announced its intention to ban social media companies from offering their services to under 16s.

Social media is not the only – nor always the most reliable – source of high-quality news content. We are helping young people engage with trusted high-quality local and national journalism online. We are strengthening media literacy in the national curriculum to help young people identify mis- and dis-information. State funded schools throughout the UK already have digital access to around 150 newspapers through the Newspapers for Schools News Library.

There will also be a defined list of exemptions, including, for example, educational services.