theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 88105, how many 16 to 19 year olds are enrolled on each of the 900 non-A level Level 3 qualifications referenced in the Department’s consultation document on Post-16 Level 3 and Below Pathways. \p Josh MacAlister: The government’s vision for the 16-19 education system is to create a clear and coherent system with distinct pathways leading to further study, training or employment, including apprenticeships.

At level 3, this includes introducing V Levels, a new pathway alongside A levels and T Levels, as recommended in the Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report. These reforms are currently under consultation.

Despite removing qualifications with sustained low or no enrolments ahead of this academic year, there remain 872 level 3 qualifications that are still available for 16–19-year-olds. Further analysis shows there were circa. 494,300 16-19 study programme enrolments in academic year 2022/23.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 25 of the Modern Industrial Strategy: Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan, published on 23 June 2025, what steps her Department is taking to support access to (a) skills courses and (b) technical colleges for food and drink manufacturers. \p Josh MacAlister: Our Post-16 education and skills white paper sets out plans to equip people with the skills and knowledge to succeed, drive growth, and support national renewal. We are introducing rigorous new qualifications so that all learners have access to high quality study pathways and can progress to employment or further study. Apprenticeships are being transformed with a new growth and skills offer, including new foundation apprenticeships in targeted sectors launched in August, shorter apprenticeships available, and short, flexible training courses starting April 2026 to meet business needs.

We are also establishing technical excellence colleges (TECs) in the Industrial Strategy growth-driving sectors. This includes 4 advanced manufacturing TECs, with delivery beginning from April 2026. Advanced Manufacturing TECs will help secure a skilled workforce pipeline and will focus on skills provision for key subsector specialisms such as agri-tech, which may include supporting improvements to the efficiency and productivity of food production, ultimately benefiting the food and drink manufacturing industry.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of repeated external investigations on staff (a) wellbeing and (b) retention in small special educational needs schools in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Georgia Gould: Across mainstream and special schools, the department is committed to improving the wellbeing and mental health of school staff and creating a supportive culture in schools and colleges. That is why we encourage all schools and colleges to sign the education staff wellbeing charter which sets out shared commitments to protect and promote the wellbeing of staff in schools and colleges. The charter can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-staff-wellbeing-charter.

Recruiting and retaining excellent teachers and leaders will support the government to transform the education system so that all young people get the skills, care and opportunities they deserve. Full time equivalent (FTE) teachers in special schools and pupil referral units in Surrey increased by 21 (3.6%) in 2024.
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Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Home Office’s policy paper entitled Restoring order and control: a statement on the Government’s asylum and returns policy, published on 17 November 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Home Office’s proposed legislation on the duty for public bodies to prioritise vulnerable children, as set out in the Children Act 1989. \p Josh MacAlister: The department will work with the Home Office as they carefully consider the appropriate pathways and wider provision for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and asylum-seeking families with children. We will continue to focus on ensuring vulnerable children are protected and their welfare safeguarded.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will legislate to require all private tutors working with children to hold enhanced DBS clearance and be subject to formal safeguarding regulation. \p Josh MacAlister: The government is committed to safeguarding children across all education settings, including out-of-school settings, such as private tuition.

All out-of-school settings, including tutors, have a legal duty of care to keep children safe and protect them from harm. To support this, the department has published guidance and free e-learning for providers, outlining the safeguarding standards we expect them to meet. We also offer guidance for parents and carers to help them make informed decisions when choosing providers.

Whilst the department believes most out-of-School Settings offer enriching education in a safe environment, we want this to be true for all. That’s why the government held a Call for Evidence regarding sector safeguarding practices and invited views on approaches for further strengthening safeguarding, including potential regulation. This closed on 21 September and analysis is ongoing. We will respond in due course.

The government has also just laid legislation, due to come into effect in January, which will enable self-employed people, including private tutors, to access enhanced DBS checks.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to Answer of 21 November 2025 to Question 91083, on Young People: Unemployment, what assessment she has made of the reasons the UK has above-OECD average youth unemployment in the context of careers guidance pupils receive. \p Josh MacAlister: The department is committed to improving careers advice in schools and colleges and to delivering two weeks’ worth of work experience for every young person, with a particular focus on those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This will mean improved work readiness and clearer progression routes to ensure young people remain engaged in education, training or employment.

This is part of a package of reforms that will expand opportunity for young people including Youth Hubs, Youth Guarantee trailblazers, expanded Foundation Apprenticeships and a job guarantee for young people. Building on this, the department have asked Alan Milburn to lead an independent investigation to tackle the persistently high numbers of young people out of work, education and training.
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Andy McDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of Education, Health and Care Plan assessments for children in the Middlesbrough and Thornaby East constituency were completed within the statutory 20-week timescale in the last year; and how many decisions in those cases were subsequently overturned or amended following SEND tribunal proceedings. \p Georgia Gould: Information on the number of education, heath and care (EHC) plans issued with 20 weeks during 2024, in both Middlesbrough and Stockton on Tees local authorities, is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/d93eb816-ebba-4148-eb03-08de29d3af56.

Information on the number of EHC needs assessments undertaken, their outcomes and the numbers which were subject to a tribunal during 2024 is shown in the table below:

Number of EHC needs assessments where the outcome was to issue an EHC plan

Number of EHC needs assessments where the outcome was not to issue an EHC plan

Middlesbrough

Total number of EHC needs assessments

314

0

Number of tribunals related to the assessment decision

0

0

Number of tribunals related to the assessment for other reasons

7

0

Stockton on Tees

Total number of EHC needs assessments

433

41

Number of tribunals related to the assessment decision

9

4

Number of tribunals related to the assessment for other reasons

10

0

An EHC needs assessment may be subject to a tribunal relating to the outcome of the assessment, or for other reasons relating to the content of any EHC plan that is subsequently issued.

Information at constituency level is not available.
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Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the statistics for the reviews of marking and moderation for GCSEs and A-Levels for summer 2025 exam series will be published. \p Georgia Gould: This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sir Ian Bauckham, to write to the hon. member for Twickenham directly, and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what meetings her Department have had with Sheffield Hallam University following recent reports of alleged academic intimidation at the university. \p Josh MacAlister: The department met with the university in October 2024 to understand more about the issues and offer support. Alleged foreign interference can present sensitive issues for institutions to navigate and there remain active enquiries into this matter, so it would not be appropriate to comment further on the specifics. We are clear that any attempt by a foreign state to intimidate or coerce universities will not be tolerated, and the government made this clear to Chinese officials after learning of this case.

The department is working with the regulator to set clearer expectations around international risk management, as well as raising awareness and developing good practice on managing foreign interference risks. This includes a closed event we will be holding with Vice Chancellors to discuss the risks posed by foreign interference and signpost our plans to further increase the sector’s resilience.
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Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many previously looked after children subject to a) a special guardianship order and b) a children arrangements order have i) SEN support and ii) an EHC plan. \p Josh MacAlister: The department does not hold information on special educational need (SEN) status for children looked after (CLA) who are in a foster placement with a relative or friend, or on SEN primary type of need for CLA who are in a foster placement with a relative or friend.

Table 1 (attached) gives counts of the primary type of need for state-funded school pupils with SEN who were previously looked after (PLA) and subject to a special guardianship order or a child arrangements order. This information is from the January 2025 school census collection.

Table 2 (attached) gives the number and proportion of state-funded pupils who were PLA and subject to a special guardianship order or a child arrangements order who had an education, health and care plan or SEN Support as of January 2025.

PLA children with SEND a SGO or CAO (xlsx, 25.0KB)
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Andy McDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) specialist school places and (b) resourced mainstream places for pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans are available in (i) Middlesbrough local authority area and (ii) Stockton-on-Tees local authority area; and what plans she has to increase specialist provision in those areas. \p Georgia Gould: As of May 2024, Middlesbrough has 681 special school places, and 369 special educational needs (SEN) unit or resourced provision places. Stockton-on-Tees has 667 special school places and 207 SEN unit or resourced provision places.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, including for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), sits with local authorities. The department supports local authorities to provide suitable school places for children and young people with SEND through annual high needs capital funding, including through the £740 million confirmed for the 2025/26 financial year. Of this funding, Middlesbrough has been allocated £1.4 million and Stockton-on-Tees has been allocated £2.2 million.

This funding is intended to create resourced provision adapted to support pupils needs. It can also be used to adapt mainstream schools to be more accessible and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.
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Oliver Ryan:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the compulsory GCSE (a) English and (b) maths resit policy on the (i) wellbeing, (ii) progression and (iii) attainment of post-16 learners, including those with SEND or who experienced pandemic-related disruption; and whether she plans to expand the use of (A) Functional Skills and (B) alternative competency-based qualifications to support learners for whom repeated GCSE retakes are not appropriate. \p Josh MacAlister: The department recognises that Level 2 English and maths skills are essential for progressing in life, learning and work. That is why we require providers to continue teaching English and maths to students without these skills. This policy has seen hundreds of thousands of 16 -19 students attain Level 2, and many others improve their grade beneath that. It allows students to study towards a range of approved qualifications including Functional Skills Qualifications at Level 2, 1 and entry level.

In our Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper and response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, we recognise we can further support providers to improve English and maths outcomes for all students. We have introduced a minimum teaching hours requirement, supported by additional funding, and will also introduce new Level 1 preparation for GCSE qualifications. To support student wellbeing, we have clarified our expectations around exam entry and are working with the Further Education Commissioner to share effective practice.
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Mr Jonathan Brash:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Music and Dance Scheme on (a) trends in the level of regional economic growth and (b) contributing to the Creative Industries Sector Plan. \p Georgia Gould: The Music and Dance Scheme (MDS) have providers in every region of England and is open to young people across the UK. It supports the Creative Industries Sector Plan commitment to increase access to quality specialist creative education provision across England to strengthen our cadre of highly trained young musicians and dancers.

The department currently provides £36.5 million for the MDS this academic year and future funding will be announced in due course.
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Carla Lockhart:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking with international counterparts to ensure the protection of Alawite women and girls in Syria in the context of recent reports of abduction. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Further to the answer given on 18 September to question 74583, I again raised this with the Syrian Foreign Minister during his visit to London in November.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Gaza. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: I refer the Hon Member to the statement on the Middle East made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her counterparts in the Israeli government on the impact of food shortages on children in Gaza. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK is providing £78 million for humanitarian and early recovery support for Palestine this financial year. This includes £9.7 million to United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to support provision of ready-to-use infant formula, water, sanitation and hygiene services, psychosocial services for children, and social protection to children.

In October, the Foreign Secretary spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar about the importance of opening more crossings and removing restrictions on aid to allow food to be delivered to all those in need, and we continue to call on Israel to enable humanitarian relief to reach every child in need of nutritional support, shelter and healthcare.
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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support she provides through international partners for people impacted by violence and displacement in Nigeria. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement of 27 November 2025.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her department has made of the adequacy of the support that the British Council offers to Ukrainian refugees, through its partnership programmes with schools. \p Chris Elmore: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Ministers regularly engage with the British Council. Most recently, I met the British Council Chair and CEO on 13 November.

The British Council-delivered UK-Ukraine School Partnerships Programme is funded by the Department for Education, rather than the FCDO. New funding was announced on 13 November to support 30 additional schools and an estimated 5,000 additional pupils to benefit from the programme.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Mozambique counterpart on reports of targeted attacks on Christians in Nampula; and what diplomatic steps she is taking with international partners to help ensure their protection. \p Chris Elmore: The UK is aware of a series of attacks by Islamic State Mozambique in Nampula. Our High Commission in Mozambique, in coordination with international partners, regularly engages with authorities and religious leaders as well as peacebuilding and humanitarian agencies both in the capital (Maputo) and Northern Mozambique, including Nampula, to address the problems of violence and instability. We also support partners to provide humanitarian assistance and to promote peacebuilding and resilience against violent extremism in the region.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has provided support to the Jamaican diaspora in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon. Member to my statement to the House on 4 November 2025, Official Report, vol. 774, col. 33WS to 35WS.
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with the her US counterparts on the application for the proposed Chinese embassy in London. \p Seema Malhotra: The US is our closest ally, and we liaise closely with them on a wide range of issues.

A final decision on the proposed embassy will be made by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government in their independent, quasi-judicial role.
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Harpreet Uppal:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with international partners to help tackle increases in settler violence in the West Bank. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Illegal settlement building in the West Bank continues at an unacceptable pace, and settler violence has reached record levels this Autumn.

We regularly discuss these issues with our international partners, we have imposed sanctions on violent settlers and outposts alike, and we continue to urge the Israeli government both to stop settlement expansion and crack down on the shameful acts of violence being committed by settlers against innocent Palestinian communities.
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David Mundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to deliver the UK’s financial commitments from the Nutrition for Growth Summit 2021. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK’s longstanding commitment to addressing malnutrition was reaffirmed earlier this year at the Nutrition for Growth Summit.

During that summit, we launched the Global Compact on Nutrition Integration and committed to continue integrating nutrition across our development programmes.

We are also continuing to support the Child Nutrition Fund to tackle acute malnutrition, and providing Technical Assistance to help developing countries improve their own nutrition responses.
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Dr Ben Spencer:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the role of British embassies in encouraging overseas voter registration since January 2024. \p Seema Malhotra: We encourage all British nationals to register as overseas voters if they move or live abroad. British Nationals abroad can contact their local Embassy or High Commission for more information.
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Robin Swann:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has had discussions with Invest Northern Ireland on its Strategic Cooperation Framework Memorandum of Understanding with the China Chamber of Commerce in the UK. \p Seema Malhotra: This Government supports UK businesses to do business with China – while being open-eyed to any risks.
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Caroline Voaden:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help tackle tax evasion in the Overseas Territories. \p Stephen Doughty: The Economic Secretary to the Treasury and I met with leaders from the Overseas Territories at the Joint Ministerial Council last week, where issues around the financial sector were discussed.

All OTs with financial centres have committed to upholding international tax standards, including those on tax transparency and exchange of information, and Base Erosion and Profit Shifting.

We are working with OTs to support their development of accessible beneficial ownership registers, which will enhance transparency, deter the concealment of illicit gains and strengthen enforcement against tax evasion and non-compliance.
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Sammy Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications of her policies of the recent murder of 20 people following an attack on a Christian-run hospital in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon Member to the answer he received on 24 November in response to Question 91327.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the activities of the Russian government in sub-Saharan Africa on (a) her Department's objectives and (b) the UK's international role. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 26 February 2025 to Question 30979.
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Lizzi Collinge:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the value of the Shule Bora Fund is; how much has been spent; and what the remaining balance will be spent on. \p Chris Elmore: The total programme budget of the Shule Bora fund is around £70.7 million with a spend of around £42.4 million to date. The fund will continue to be spent on improving learning outcomes, training teachers, making schools safer and more inclusive, and supporting systemic reforms to ensure equitable access and quality education nationwide. Further information can be found on the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's Development Tracker website.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with British International Investment on focusing on development impact in fragile and low-income countries. \p Chris Elmore: As part of British International Investment's (BII's) Impact Framework, all transactions are assessed for their additionality, to ensure BII is not displacing the private sector. BII is also a leader amongst Development Finance Institutions in investing in the riskiest places with the highest development needs, making £880 million of new commitments in the poorest and most fragile countries in 2024 alone. Full details of BII's Impact Framework can be found on its website here: https://www.bii.co.uk/en/our-impact/
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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has held recent discussions with the Centre for Information Resilience on passing relevant information to other agencies such as the International Criminal Court and the War Crimes unit at the Metropolitan Police. \p Chris Elmore: We will continue to ensure that the Centre for Information Resilience is working with all relevant agencies to share information and coordinate fact-finding activities, as set out in the response of 10 June 2025 to Question 56318.
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Ruth Cadbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions officials in her Department have had with the Israeli Government on the adequacy of the conditions for children who are detained in administrative detention without (a) charge and (b) trial. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 13 October to Question 76963.
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the viability of the ceasefire deal regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: I refer the Hon Member to the oral statement on the Middle East made by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, further to Foreign Affairs Committee, Oral evidence: Work of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, HC 385, 3 November 2025, Q261, whether Lord Mandelson was asked to sell his shareholding in Global Counsel, or place the shareholding in a blind trust. \p Seema Malhotra: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 11 June 2025 to Question 57229. A copy of the standard Conflict of Interest Declaration Form will be deposited in the Library.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department is monitoring the number of ID-linked data breaches following the implementation of the Online Safety Act 2023. \p Ian Murray: The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is responsible for monitoring and enforcing the application of data protection legislation in the UK. As the independent regulator of the Online Safety Act (OSA), Ofcom may refer matters to the ICO if it has concerns that a provider has not complied with its obligations under data protection law.

The ICO has several powers under the data protection legislation to tackle the unlawful processing of personal data, including the power to serve substantial civil monetary penalties for serious breaches of the legislation. Details of the ICO’s enforcement activity can be found on its website.
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Amanda Hack:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of setting minimum quality standards for mobile phone connections. \p Kanishka Narayan: There are widely recognised international technical standards for mobile telecommunications services in place, developed through the International Telecommunications Union and Third Generation Partnership Project. These standards set out technical performance requirements and metrics.

Ofcom recently updated its definition of ‘good’ mobile coverage as part of the update to their mobile coverage checker tool, ‘Map Your Mobile’. This reflects the level of service required to carry out the tasks people expect to use their mobile device for today.

User’s expectations of what they expect to be able to do on their mobile device evolve over time. In the recent proposed Ofcom Statement of Strategic Priorities for telecommunications, the management of radio spectrum, and postal services, therefore, government asked Ofcom to keep under review its definitions of “good” 4G and 5G.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding has been allocated to startups developing dual-use technologies through the National Security Strategic Investment Fund since 5 July 2024. \p Kanishka Narayan: In the financial year 2024-25, NSSIF committed £14,863,000 for investments. Details of the portfolio are published on the NSSIF website.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

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Jack Rankin:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the advisory assessment panel for the appointment of the new Chair of Ofcom will include a member who is independent of Government; and if she will publish the names of panel members. \p Kanishka Narayan: The advisory assessment panel for the appointment of the new Ofcom Chair is constituted in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. In consultation with the Commissioner for Public Appointments, the panel includes a Senior Independent Panel Member who does not hold a ministerial or departmental role, and whose remit is to provide assurance that the process is fair, open and merit-based. The names of all panel members are included in the role advert which is published on gov.uk.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_299

Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the number of instances of (a) antisemitism (b) Islamophobia (c) other forms of race and religion based hate on social media platforms; and what discussions have taken place with platform owners on this issue since July 2024. \p Kanishka Narayan: Under the Online Safety Act, in-scope services must protect all users from illegal abusive and hateful content, and children from abusive content where it does not reach the criminal threshold.

In October, the Secretary of State wrote to Ofcom and asked it to use all its levers to tackle antisemitic content online and hate speech more widely.

The government supports Ofcom’s intention to publish a report in December which will assess the impact of the Act’s duties so far. The government and Ofcom are carefully monitoring the impact of the Act.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_300

Jess Asato:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when her Department plans to publish the review on the impact of social media on young people’s wellbeing and mental health commissioned in November 2024. \p Kanishka Narayan: The feasibility study into research on any causal impact of social media and smartphones on children’s mental health and wellbeing has been completed. My department is considering the study’s recommendations for further research, and the report will be published in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_301

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many websites have been blocked by Internet service providers for failure to comply with the Online Safety Act 2023. \p Kanishka Narayan: As the independent regulator for online safety, Ofcom is responsible for enforcing the Online Safety Act.

Ofcom has a range of strong enforcement powers. These include imposing fines of up to £18 million, or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue, and in the most severe cases, applying to the courts to initiate business disruption measures.

Ofcom is actively enforcing the regime, and we are clear that they have our full backing to take whatever action is necessary to keep people safe online. Ofcom continues to monitor compliance and publish updates on enforcement activity.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_302

Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the level of compliance by (a) mobile phone and (b) WiFi infrastructure installers with the Code of Practice for Wireless Network Development in England, published on 7 March 2022. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Code of Practice for Wireless Network Development sets out best practice guidance for mobile network operators and local authorities on deploying wireless infrastructure, including considerations for siting equipment.

It is to complement existing legislation and provide clear, practical advice to support all stakeholders involved in the deployment process.

We expect all parties to follow the principles set out in the Code of Practice, and all major mobile operators have committed to doing so. Concerns about compliance should be raised with Mobile UK, and we continue to engage with the sector in matters relating to the deployment of wireless network infrastructure.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_303

Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment has been made of the potential implications for her policies of social media platforms (a) hosting extremist content and (b) using algorithms that enable radicalisation, exploitation and grooming of vulnerable users. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Online Safety Act requires services to tackle illegal content, including terrorist content, grooming content, and content which stirs up hatred based on religion or race. They must also protect children from certain forms of legal content, including hateful or abusive material.   Services are required to take proportionate measures to mitigate these harms, including where they are enabled by algorithms. These measures are designed to ensure user safety, particularly for children whilst protecting freedom of expression. The Act requires the Secretary of State to review and report to Parliament on the effectiveness of the regime 2-5 years after the Act is fully implemented.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_304

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many awards have been made to defence SMEs as part of the National Security Strategic Investment Fund since 5 July 2024. \p Kanishka Narayan: NSSIF invests in dual use companies across Quantum, Space, AI, and Emerging Technologies, on a range of cheque sizes, co-investing typically at Seed or Series A. NSSIF tends to take a minority stake and not lead the rounds. Details of many of the companies in NSSIF's investment portfolio are published on NSSIF's website (www.nssif.gov.uk).
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_305

Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the additional capacity Ofcom has provided for the administration of complaints and investigations relating to provisions within the Online Safety Act 2023. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Government has ensured Ofcom has the resources it needs to deliver online safety regulation effectively, including its complaints and investigation responsibilities. £72.6 million has been allocated to Ofcom for its online safety functions and approximately 550 full time staff are working in its online safety directorate in 2025/26.

Ofcom regularly reports on its performance and activity, and the Government remains satisfied that it has the capability and capacity to carry out its complaints and investigative duties effectively. We will continue to engage with Ofcom to ensure resources remain proportionate to its remit.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_306

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the UK’s ranking within the G7 in terms of a) space sector growth, and b) global market share in each of the past three years. \p Kanishka Narayan: As part of its ongoing space policy development, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is currently performing comparative analysis of the UK’s position in the global space sector. This involves the use of commercial data (primarily from Novaspace) to bring together economic data from a wide range of nations and international space organisations. Under our data access agreements, we cannot share any assessment using this data publicly. In its 2023 report Expanding Frontiers, the UKSA estimated that the UK accounted for 5% of global revenue in the space sector but has not published any data on the assessment of growth or market share in the context of other G7 countries.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_307

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of whether the UK’s global market share in the space sector is increasing or decreasing relative to other G7 countries. \p Kanishka Narayan: As part of its ongoing space policy development, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is currently performing analysis of the UK’s global market share in the space sector. This involves the use of commercial data (primarily from Novaspace) to bring together economic data from a wide range of nations and international space organisations. Under our data access agreements, we cannot share any assessment using this data publicly. In its 2023 report Expanding Frontiers, the UKSA estimated that the UK accounted for 5% of global revenue in the space sector but has not published any data on the assessment of if the UK’s global market share is increasing or decreasing relative to other G7 countries.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_308

Sadik Al-Hassan:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department’s policies of the study undertaken by the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Bath, published on 5 September 2025. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Government is committed to tackling the supply of illegal drugs. We are taking a coordinated approach to tackle harmful online content, including material associated with vapes containing illegal drugs. This combines law enforcement activity, education, and also measures compelling online platforms to act.

To this end, the illegal sale of drugs is a priority offence under the illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act 2023.Ofcom is closely monitoring compliance with the regime. The National Crime Agency also works with partners in the UK and internationally to identify offenders operating online, and to take down UK-based sites committing offences.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_309

Julia Lopez:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the level of systemic risk from reliance on two dominant cloud providers following recent outages. \p Kanishka Narayan: I refer the honourable member to the answer given on 24 November to UIN 92927. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) continues to monitor systemic risks to UK critical national infrastructure from reliance on cloud providers, including resilience measures and contingency planning following recent service outages.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_310

Julia Lopez:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help accelerate the process to designate cloud services with Digital Market Unit's Strategic Market Status to prevent anti-competitive practices in the sector. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Competition and Markets Authority (the CMA) has completed three Strategic Market Status investigations this year. The CMA is independent of the Government and decisions on which markets to investigate are for its Board. The CMA has published guidance on its website on how it will prioritise Strategic Market Status designations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_311

Julia Lopez:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to help ease restrictive licensing practices in relation to software by large cloud providers to ensure that there is fair and open competition in the sector. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Government is committed to supporting a competitive and innovative digital economy. This is why we prioritised the commencement and implementation of the Competition and Markets Authority’s (the CMA) new powers in digital markets. The CMA is independent of Government, and any decisions on which markets it next investigates is for their Board.