Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the risk that electric buses operating in the UK could be remotely rendered inoperable via their internet-connected systems by hostile state actors.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government takes national security seriously and recognises the systematic challenges of increased connectivity and the cyber security implications for almost every area of government policy, including vehicles. My Department works closely with the transport sector and other government departments to understand and respond to cyber vulnerabilities for all transport modes.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to schools on gambling-like features in video games, including loot boxes and in-game spending, as part of online safety education.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Statutory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) supports children and young people to manage risk and make informed decisions in relation to their mental wellbeing and online behaviour.
The updated RSHE statutory guidance is clear that children and young people should be taught the risks relating to online gaming, video game monetisation, scams, fraud and other financial harms, and that gaming can become addictive.
Curriculum content also includes the risks related to online gambling and gambling-like content within gaming, including the accumulation of debt.
The departments online safety guidance covers how to teach about all aspects of internet safety and includes content on gaming and gambling, and can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teaching-online-safety-in-schools.
As with other aspects of the curriculum, schools have flexibility over how they deliver important topics and use their autonomy and local community knowledge to do this.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 87510 on Internet: Children and Young People, when the Media Literacy Vision Statement will be published.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is developing a Media Literacy Vision Statement in close collaboration with other government departments. The Vision Statement will set out a shared, whole-of-government vision for a safe, informed, media literate society. It will outline how media literacy will be embedded across key policy areas including education, public services, digital inclusion, and community resilience. We will announce publication in due course.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of cellular internet modules on (a) wind turbines, and (b) solar panels imported from China.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Recognising the importance of renewable and smart energy systems for flexibility and decarbonisation, the Department is working to ensure the system is developed in a way that is secure by design, and protects energy supply, infrastructure and consumers. As part of this work, Government has published two consultation packages which sets out proposals for minimum security and grid stability requirements, including for organisations remotely controlling electrical load.
The Department collaborates with other government departments, agencies and industry partners to understand and mitigate threats to energy infrastructure, setting robust regulatory standards for cyber security through the Network and Information Systems Regulations. This includes working with regulators to ensure these regulations cover critical operators as the sector evolves.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what contracts are held by (1) government departments, and (2) arm's-length bodies, with Starlink; and what is the value and duration of each contract.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and its Arms Lengths Body’s (ALBs) including the United Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA) hold no contracts directly with Starlink, aside from the Very Hard to Reach Alpha trials which are due to close in the coming quarter. These are rolling monthly contracts with Starlink Internet Services, and the currently anticipated expenditure in March 2025 is £1,035.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) alongside the Ministry of Defence (MOD) have reported no contracts with Starlink. The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) does not hold information on which departments have used Starlink.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to make it a criminal offence to create fake online media accounts for public bodies and organisations where the communication of official and public information is necessary for civic order and resilience.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Under the Online Safety Act, all services in scope must tackle illegal content and activity which enables fraud, including activity through fake and anonymous accounts. The illegal harms duties will come into force in Spring 2025.
More broadly, government departments and agencies continually seek to identify malicious websites that intend to impersonate public sector bodies and enable fraudulent activity. Those creating such websites may be liable for prosecution for fraud or computer misuse offences.
Domain registrars, Internet infrastructure (IIPs) and service providers (ISPs) operate robust voluntary arrangements for filtering, blocking and takedown of malicious websites, which is supported by the operational work of our agencies and law enforcement. NCSC also works in collaboration with industry partners to present ISPs with real-time threat data that enables them to instantly block access to known fraudulent or malicious websites. This has a major impact in protecting citizens from cyber- and cyber-facilitated crimes.
The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK is the safest place to live and work online. It is essential that the UK has the right legislative framework to allow us to tackle the harms posed to our citizens, businesses, and government services online.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 9 January 2025 to Question 21396 on Government Departments: Internet, if he will publish the inclusion list of websites for programmatic advertising that meet the acceptable standards.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
As was the case under the previous administration, there are currently no plans to publish the inclusion list.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, Pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2024 to Question 14352 on Government Departments: X Corp, and with reference to the SAFE Framework: the 4 principles for HMG Brand Safety, how many platforms have been removed from the HMG Inclusion List in the last 12 months; what the reasons for their removal were; and what appeals process is available for platforms seeking reinstatement.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
HMG operates an inclusion list of websites for programmatic advertising that meet the existing HMG acceptable standards. This inclusion list does not cover platforms, which are assessed separately. No platforms have been removed in the last 12 months.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the e-Visa scheme on (a) older people, (b) those with learning difficulties, (c) non-English speakers and (d) those with limited access to technology.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Home Office has implemented a comprehensive engagement strategy to smooth the transition to eVisas and to maximise awareness raising across various sectors. This includes collaboration with key stakeholders including migrant organisations.
The Home Office is committed to ensuring everyone, including the elderly, those with learning disabilities, those with limited English and the most vulnerable, are properly supported as we transform our immigration system.
On 18 September 2024, we announced that the Government is providing up to £4m in dedicated grant funding to a UK wide network of voluntary and community sector organisations to deliver valuable support to those who need it, during the transition from physical immigration documents to eVisas. The list of organisations is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evisa-community-support-for-vulnerable-people.
We have ensured that the wording used to explain how to create a UKVI account and get access to an eVisa is simple and can be easily translated using various free online services. In consultation with stakeholders, we are also considering providing some information about the transition to eVisas in other languages.
People can nominate a ‘helper’ and give them limited access to their account, so that they can assist with creating a UKVI account to access an eVisa, and with any immigration application. Where a person is unable to manage their own affairs due to, for example, age or disability, an authorised ‘proxy’ can create and manage the account on behalf of the person. People can also contact the UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre (https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk for support via email and webchat, and telephone.
For those inside the UK our Assisted Digital service is available to provide support by phone and email to those who need help with IT-related aspects of creating a UKVI account and accessing an eVisa. Access needs can include any disability that requires support to use online services, a lack of device or a lack of internet access. More information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/assisted-digital-help-online-application
We are also taking further steps to reduce the number of circumstances where people need to provide evidence of their immigration status, by developing services to make the relevant immigration status information available automatically through system to system checks with other government departments and the NHS.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has had recent discussions with representatives of migrant organisations on the development of a digital solution for the e-visa scheme.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Home Office has implemented a comprehensive engagement strategy to smooth the transition to eVisas and to maximise awareness raising across various sectors. This includes collaboration with key stakeholders including migrant organisations.
The Home Office is committed to ensuring everyone, including the elderly, those with learning disabilities, those with limited English and the most vulnerable, are properly supported as we transform our immigration system.
On 18 September 2024, we announced that the Government is providing up to £4m in dedicated grant funding to a UK wide network of voluntary and community sector organisations to deliver valuable support to those who need it, during the transition from physical immigration documents to eVisas. The list of organisations is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evisa-community-support-for-vulnerable-people.
We have ensured that the wording used to explain how to create a UKVI account and get access to an eVisa is simple and can be easily translated using various free online services. In consultation with stakeholders, we are also considering providing some information about the transition to eVisas in other languages.
People can nominate a ‘helper’ and give them limited access to their account, so that they can assist with creating a UKVI account to access an eVisa, and with any immigration application. Where a person is unable to manage their own affairs due to, for example, age or disability, an authorised ‘proxy’ can create and manage the account on behalf of the person. People can also contact the UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre (https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk for support via email and webchat, and telephone.
For those inside the UK our Assisted Digital service is available to provide support by phone and email to those who need help with IT-related aspects of creating a UKVI account and accessing an eVisa. Access needs can include any disability that requires support to use online services, a lack of device or a lack of internet access. More information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/assisted-digital-help-online-application
We are also taking further steps to reduce the number of circumstances where people need to provide evidence of their immigration status, by developing services to make the relevant immigration status information available automatically through system to system checks with other government departments and the NHS.