theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had recent discussions with Babcock on increasing the number of welding apprenticeships on UK based defence contracts. \p Luke Pollard: This Government recognises the vital role Defence, and its skilled workforce, play not only in our national security but also to the economic prosperity and growth of the United Kingdom. We must work with the UK defence sector to boost skills, build rewarding careers and bring prosperity to all nations and regions.

As part of the Department's assessment of supply chain risks, the Ministry of Defence regularly monitors the availability of suitably qualified and experienced personnel needed in the delivery of our Defence programmes. The Department also has regular engagement with its suppliers to ensure the availability of the critical skills required, and the demand for craft skills, including welders, is recognised across the defence sector. This has been reflected by the launch of a new apprenticeship welding school in Bristol by Babcock earlier this year, providing a skills boost to the region and UK defence.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Government launches Back British industry call to action to boost UK jobs, businesses and skills, published on 23 October 2025, which top level budget the Defence Office for Small Business Growth will be allocated to. \p Luke Pollard: The Defence Office for Small Business Growth will be an internal body of the Ministry of Defence (MOD), accountable to the MOD’s Director General Commercial and Industry under the National Armaments Director Group.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled, Government launches Back British industry call to action to boost UK jobs, businesses and skills, published on 23 October 2025, whether the new Defence Office for Small Business Growth will include service personnel. \p Luke Pollard: The Office for Small Business Growth will work collaboratively with other Ministry of Defence and Government organisations, including the Department for Business and Trade Growth Hubs, Regional Defence and Security Clusters, trade associations, strategic partners and other suppliers to bring coherence to the total support offering available to SMEs seeking to work in defence as well as non-traditional suppliers that may have offerings for a Defence application.

The exact detail of how the Office will operate, including staffing options, is currently under development. Further detail of how the service will be led and resourced will be released shortly with the aim to deliver a modern, digitally-enabled and user-centric service.
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Colum Eastwood:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2025 to Question 84961 on Armed Forces: Northern Ireland, whether there were any remuneration capping arrangements applied to legal costs incurred in the defence of Soldier F; and whether Schedule 1 of the Legal Aid for Crown Court Proceedings (Costs) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2005 was applied to defence costs. \p Al Carns: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) did not impose any cap on the legal costs associated with the defence of Soldier F. Schedule 1 of the Legal Aid for Crown Court Proceedings (Costs) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2005 does not apply to costs funded by the MOD.

The MOD will continue to provide the welfare and legal support to all Service personnel that served during the Troubles.
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Colum Eastwood:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2025 to Question 84961 on Armed Forces: Northern Ireland, what the hourly rate of legal fees paid to (a) Senior Counsel, (b) Junior Counsel and (c) solicitors instructed during the course of proceedings were. \p Al Carns: This is considered commercially sensitive information and is being withheld accordingly.

The MOD will continue to provide the welfare and legal support to all service personnel that served during the Troubles.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled, Government launches Back British industry call to action to boost UK jobs, businesses and skills, published on 23 October 2025, where the new Defence Office for Small Business Growth will be based. \p Luke Pollard: The Defence Office for Small Business Growth will reflect modern ways of working and will not be restricted by a physical location. Using a networked approach, support will be offered across the country and effective digital tools will enable small businesses to connect with the Office regardless of location. This approach removes a significant barrier to entry for smaller businesses.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled, Government launches Back British industry call to action to boost UK jobs, businesses and skills, published on 23 October 2025, if he will list the skills that an international partner will be required to invest in if a UK defence deal contract is won. \p Luke Pollard: As part of the Defence Industrial Strategy's commitment to backing British businesses, we launched a public consultation on a possible UK offset policy on 23 October. The consultation seeks input on key principles for implementation, including on the nature and level of obligations. It is essential that any offset policy is explored and developed in partnership with the defence sector so we should not pre-empt the outcome of this consultation.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2025 to Question 82467 on Unmanned Air Systems: Testing; whether his Department will support the Civil Aviation Authority in making sure there is a decreased time taken in quarterly statistics on Airspace Change Proposal throughput regarding decision times for uncrewed air system-related Special Use Airspace applications. \p Luke Pollard: The Ministry of Defence continues to work closely with the Civil Aviation Authority to refine the airspace change processes in CAP1616 to improve the speed and efficiency at which both permanent and temporary Special Use Airspace can be established for uncrewed air systems.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled, Government launches Back British industry call to action to boost UK jobs, businesses and skills, published on 23 October 2025, what the minimum number of UK based jobs is that the winning international partner of a UK defence contract will be required to provide. \p Luke Pollard: As part of the Defence Industrial Strategy's commitment to backing British businesses, we launched a public consultation on a possible UK offset policy on 23 October. The consultation seeks input on key principles for implementation, including exploring effective ways of applying offset requirements to defence procurement contracts to deliver jobs. It is essential that any offset policy is explored and developed in partnership with the defence sector so we should not pre-empt the outcome of this consultation.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October to Question 8246 on Unmanned Air Systems: Delivery Services, whether his Department has assessed the operational impact of Civil Air Publication 1616 timelines on (a) scheduling of uncrewed air system test and (b) evaluation activities. \p Luke Pollard: To facilitate planned test and evaluation activities the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is able to operate uncrewed air systems in established permanent Special Use Airspace. The MOD utilises the CAP1616 processes to establish temporary and trial Special Use Areas for periods of up to 90 days.

However, for emerging test and evaluation activity out-with the CAP1616 timelines, the MOD may reserve airspace pursuant to Article 239 of the Air Navigation Order.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects the Joint Requirements Oversight Committee meeting to take place for Project Grayburn. \p Luke Pollard: On current plans, the Joint Requirements Oversight Committee (JROC) is expected to meet this Autumn regarding Project GRAYBURN.
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Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support veterans into suitable employment in Greater Manchester. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: Employment support from the Ministry of Defence is available to veterans in Greater Manchester, including the Career Transition Partnership, which can be accessed two years before and two years after leaving Service. In the last year, 88% using this service secured employment within six months. Op ASCEND, available two years after leaving, has helped support over 5,000 veterans and family members into sustainable careers.
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Emma Foody:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve support for veterans. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: Remembrance is a poignant time for our veterans, allowing the country to demonstrate their recognition and celebrate the Service of our veterans. This Government has already taken swift action to deliver for our veterans, and cohere the support available. With £50-million funding for VALOUR, our Ops, FORTITUDE, COURAGE, RESTORE, ASCEND and NOVA supporting veterans in need; and 88% of veterans are supported in securing sustainable employment that leverages their unique skills within six months.
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Joani Reid:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support defence sector jobs. \p Luke Pollard: As part of the Defence Industrial Strategy, we launched a £182 million skills package that encompasses a range of initiatives which will provide people with the necessary skills to work in the defence sector. Proving that Defence is an engine for growth, this Government recently announced the £10 billion Type 26 frigate deal with Norway. This will be built by Scottish workers with 4,000 jobs created, of which 2,000 will be in Scotland.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of launching a home readiness campaign to advise people on how to respond in the event of a potential conflict. \p Al Carns: As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, a whole-of-society approach is crucial to strengthen resilience to the risks we face, including hybrid threats.

The Cabinet Office-led Home Defence Programme will work to familiarise the public with their role in national security and resilience.

The Ministry of Defence will actively support this work and is committed to learning from international best practice.

The GOV.UK/Prepare website sets out actions the public can take to prepare for emergencies.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timetable is for the (a) completion and (b) publication of the Defence Accreditation Review. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to ensuring that the Defence Accreditation Review is conducted thoroughly and effectively to support the development of a robust and future-focused training strategy for Defence.

The MOD is currently aiming to complete the Defence Accreditation Review by the middle of 2026. However, it is important to note that the complexity and scale of this task, alongside the need to establish a strong foundation for Defence’s future training and accreditation framework, may necessitate additional time to ensure the review is comprehensive and fit for purpose.

The Defence Accreditation Review is an internal review designed to inform policy development; the MOD has no plans to publish it externally. It is being delivered in phases, allowing the MOD to address challenges systematically and engage meaningfully with stakeholders. The MOD is working closely with partners across Defence, Government, and industry to ensure that the review reflects a wide range of perspectives and expertise, and to drive progress in this critical area.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress his Department has made on negotiating the UK's participation in the EU’s European Peace Facility. \p Al Carns: The UK agreed an ambitious Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) with the EU to strengthen European security, support growth and reinforce NATO. As work progresses to implement the SDP, including the first UK-EU Foreign and Security Policy dialogue on 22 October, the UK will continue to prioritise engagement and cooperation on the issues that are most important in helping to safeguard European security and prosperity – all in support of this government’s NATO first defence policy as set out in the Security and Defence Review. The UK is not currently exploring participation in the European Peace Facility.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the restrictions on British military aircrafts (a) arriving at and (b) departing from Gibraltar on (i) military operations and (ii) financial costs to his Department. \p Al Carns: UK military aircraft travelling to and from RAF Gibraltar are routed so as to avoid Spanish territorial airspace, in accordance with Spanish restrictions on UK military overflights. RAF Gibraltar continues to operate as a sovereign UK military airfield, and the current overflight ban by Spain does not impede our operational freedom with respect to aircraft movements. No assessment has been conducted regarding the financial costs associated with routing UK military aircraft through the global network of Flight Information Regions.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had recent discussions with his Spanish counterpart on allowing UK military aircraft (a) arriving at and (b) departing from Gibraltar to use Spanish airspace. \p Al Carns: The Defence Secretary meets regularly with his Spanish counterpart to discuss a range of issues of shared strategic interest. These recent interactions have not included discussion on the transit through Spanish airspace of UK military aircraft arriving at or departing from RAF Gibraltar.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 79390 on Armed Forces, when he plans to publish the review of future workforce requirements. \p Al Carns: The Ministry of Defence continues to make progress in enhancing Standing Joint Command (SJC), including a directed increase in resource to meet immediate priorities. Longer term workforce and capability requirements are being considered and, on current plans, will be announced as part of the Defence Investment Plan.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 79203 on NATO, what (a) plans and (b) capability targets have been set for the UK armed forces through NATO's Defence Planning Process. \p Al Carns: NATO capability targets are designed to ensure Allied have the capabilities they need to strengthen NATO’s collective deterrence and defence. They cover the full spectrum of military capabilities, across all domains, and include personnel, equipment, logistics, and readiness. The specific targets and associated plans are classified secret and are being withheld for reasons of national security and operational effectiveness.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to increase the provision of real time information on a) civilian and b) emergency services air traffic to military jets during low altitude training exercises. \p Al Carns: The primary measure in open airspace remains airmanship and the 'see and avoid' principle. There are a range of measures already in place to provide additional real time information on civilian air traffic during low level training. This includes communication with Air Traffic Control and the Low Flying Booking Service, datalinks, information from aircraft transponders and increasingly sophisticated on-board sensors and surveillance equipment.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what criteria were used to determine which (a) private companies and their representatives and (b) media organisations and journalists received advance sight of the Strategic Defence Review. \p Luke Pollard: We invited the Defence Correspondents Association and several additional outlets to cover UK national media.

We also invited companies and associations who are part of the joint Ministry of Defence-Cabinet Office Strategic Partnering Programme, alongside a larger set of key industry stakeholders.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the media organisations given advance sight of the Strategic Defence Review prior to its publication. \p Luke Pollard: As the hon. Member will be aware, the Secretary of State for Defence has been determined to reset the relationship between Parliament and the Ministry of Defence, increasing transparency and openness. The Department sought to reflect this determination for the publication of the Strategic Defence Review, and to build on the approach made for previous defence reviews.

On the day of the launch, we offered embargoed copies of the Strategic Defence Review to key stakeholders, including the House of Commons Defence Committee, media organisations and others. This was done in good faith, reflecting the contribution by stakeholders to the first-of-its-kind review.

We therefore invited the Defence Correspondents Association and several additional outlets to cover UK national media.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 79365 on Navy: Military Aircraft, what the scope is of the Royal Navy’s approach to Maritime Aviation Transformation. \p Al Carns: Maritime Aviation Transformation is the Royal Navy’s strategy to shift towards a digitally led, crewed-uncrewed operating model that supports the Hybrid Air Wing outlined in the Strategic Defence Review. By 2040, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), Strike and Logistics Lift will be delivered by a mix of crewed and uncrewed systems, with autonomous aircraft increasingly deployed in warfighting roles. Investment decisions to support this transformation will be published in the Defence Investment Plan.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many veterans have accessed support via Op ASCEND since its launch. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question 83061 on 27 October 2025.

Veterans: Employment (docx, 16.5KB)
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the scope is of the combat edge human performance optimisation programme. \p Al Carns: The Combat Edge Human Performance Optimisation Programme is a strategic initiative led by the Royal Air Force (RAF) to enhance the effectiveness of the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS). It represents a mindset shift in military aviation and aims to deliver aircrew who are mentally and physically prepared to operate in increasingly complex and contested environments.

The programme includes cutting-edge approaches to human performance and cognitive agility, including psychological resilience and human performance enhancements in relation to fitness, nutrition, and sleep.

It will maximise the use of technology enhanced learning, such as simulators and synthetics, as well as digital analysis. It draws on best practices from elite sport, academic research, and allied air forces to embed Psychological Skills Training, coaching and mentoring within UKMFTS.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 79608 on Military Bases, how many of the projects in the Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio are (a) completed and (b) under construction. \p Luke Pollard: 17 construction projects within the Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio have been completed and a further five projects are currently in construction.
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Henry Tufnell:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress he has made on implementing the Defence Industrial Strategy 2025. \p Luke Pollard: We are progressing the implementation plan for the Defence Industrial Strategy. I am happy to report to the House that I spoke with the Welsh Government about the roll out of a Defence Growth deal for Wales and how Wales will benefit from the £250 million fund allocated.
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Lincoln Jopp:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to increase the provision of equipment to Ukraine. \p Luke Pollard: We can be very proud as a nation that this year, the UK will give more military support to Ukraine than ever, with a £4.5 billion boost, including £600 million into accelerating drone delivery.

As part of the £1.6 billion announced earlier this year, we recently announced delivery of an extra 140 lightweight-multirole missiles ahead of schedule and a UK-Ukrainian project to mass produce thousands of advanced air defence interceptor drones to help take down shahids and cruise missile attacking civilians Ukraine.

The UK is co-leading the Ukraine Defence Contact Group with Germany and Coalition of the Willing with France, encouraging allies to provide more to Ukraine.
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Colum Eastwood:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2025 to Question 84961 on Legal costs for ‘Soldier F’, what information his Department holds on the cost to the public purse for pastoral care provided to (a) Soldier F and (b) the families of the people who died on Bloody Sunday. \p Al Carns: The Ministry of Defence do not provide pastoral care to those who have not served.

Pastoral care provided to Soldier F during his legal proceedings involved the time of various employees and multiple organisations across the Department. Most of the associated costs are covered by central budgets within which the costs of support to individual cases are not separately identifiable, as such we cannot determine a specific figure for this support.

The Ministry of Defence will continue to provide the welfare and legal support to all service personnel that served during the troubles.
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Colum Eastwood:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2025 to Question 84961 on legal costs for ‘Soldier F’, if she will publish the cost for each stage of the legal processes for which support was provided. \p Al Carns: The Ministry of Defence do not hold records of legal costs in a way that allows for the extraction and presentation of costs associated with each stage of the legal process.

The Ministry of Defence will continue to provide the welfare and legal support to all Service personnel that served during the troubles.
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Caroline Voaden:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what process is in place to ensure mariners are notified of training mines set in UK waters. \p Al Carns: Mariners are notified of training mines through Notices to Mariners, Navigational Warnings (NAVWARNs), and real-time Maritime Safety Information broadcasts. These are coordinated by the Ministry of Defence, the UK Hydrographic Office, and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to ensure navigational safety.

The Royal Navy is represented at the Maritime Coastguard Agency’s United Kingdom Safety of Navigation Committee to ensure multi-agency alignment with regard to maritime safety.

Close liaison with UK Hydrographic Office ensures details on exercise areas and, where appropriate, any potential hazards are captured through routine navigational chart updates.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the UK Space Agency’s expenditure on supporting the growth of the UK space industry. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Government is committed to supporting the growth of the space sector and thereby the economy. The UK Space Agency and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology catalysed £2.2 billion in investment and revenue for the UK space sector in 2024/25 alone, through various programmes.

This includes European Space Agency (ESA) programmes. ESA receives approximately 70–75% of the UKSA’s annual budget, and the UK has committed £1.84bn between 2022 and 2027. The latest evaluation estimates that every £1 public investment in ESA programmes leads to £7.49 directly benefiting the UK economy.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent steps she has taken to improve access to full fibre broadband in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) other rural communities. \p Kanishka Narayan: According to the independent website Thinkbroadband.com, almost 82% of premises across Lincolnshire can access a gigabit-capable connection, we aim to get that to 99% by 2032. To extend connectivity further, Quickline is delivering a Project Gigabit contract across Lincolnshire and East Riding, which is currently expected to provide access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection to approximately 30,000 premises within Lincolnshire. A further contract with CityFibre is planned to benefit premises in West Lincolnshire as well as within Nottinghamshire.

As of the end of March 2025, over 1.2 million premises in rural and hard to reach communities across the UK had been upgraded to gigabit-capable broadband through government-funded programmes. More than one million further premises have been included within contracts to provide access to gigabit-capable broadband, with funding of over £2.4 billion through Project Gigabit. Almost all of this coverage will be delivered via fibre to the premises.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure that UK participation in the European Space Agency effectively supports UK interests. \p Kanishka Narayan: Through the UK Space Agency, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) leads the UK’s participation in the European Space Agency’s (ESA) policy and programme discussions to ensure all UK investments deliver substantial benefits for our economy, scientific and technological progress, and commercial success, in direct support of our national interests.

We will negotiate at the ESA Council of Ministers next month, new multi-year programmes and funding arrangements that maximise opportunities for UK businesses, researchers, and innovators. The UK Space Agency (UKSA) is proactively consulting with a wide range of stakeholders from across the UK space sector to ensure that the UK’s priorities of economic growth and national security are reflected in the outcomes of the Council, and we will continue to deliver high-quality monitoring and evaluation of the UK’s participation in ESA through a robust framework that assesses impact, value for money, and strategic alignment with national priorities. In August 2025, the UKSA published its latest evaluation of the benefits of the UK's investments in ESA.
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Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2025 to Question 82424 on Animal Experiments, which experiments does the alternative methods strategy include timelines for phasing out. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Labour Manifesto commits to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal.

The government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year and will outline targets and timelines for the phasing out of some specific applications of animal testing.
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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether British Sign Language AI procurement is subject to algorithmic impact assessments. \p Ian Murray: We are not aware of any cross-Government British Sign Language AI procurement.

The government has committed to ensure that algorithmic tools used in the public sector are used safely and transparently and is taking active steps to ensure this. The Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard is mandatory for all government departments. It communicates information about how and why algorithmic tools are used, who is responsible for them, how they are embedded in broader decision-making processes, their technical specifications, and relevant risk mitigations and impact assessments.

The Data Ethics Framework guides appropriate and responsible data use in government and the wider public sector. It helps public servants understand ethical considerations, address these within their projects, and encourages responsible innovation.

Additionally, the Service Manual and Service Standard guide service teams across the public sector on the design and development of digital services, including those enabled by AI.

A service must be accessible to everyone who needs it, including services only used by public servants. Digital services must meet level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.2) as a minimum and service teams must include disabled people and people who use assistive technologies in the design of those services. WCAG 2.2 addresses the needs of people who are deaf or hard of hearing primarily through guidelines for multimedia, such as providing captions, transcripts, and sign language interpretations.

The compliance of central government digital services with the WCAG regulations is monitored by the Government Digital Service.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what British Sign Language (BSL) standards are being used in (a) government and (b) public services in the commissioning of BSL AI. \p Ian Murray: Providing BSL translations of pre-recorded audio and video content is a WCAG 2.2 AAA criterion. As outlined in the Government Service Standard, all digital government services must as a minimum meet Level AA. AAA is best practice.

Current best practice guidance for use of BSL in digital public services advises that BSL videos are independently assured by a Deaf-led BSL supplier.

We are not aware of any digital public services currently using AI generated BSL content. No specific accessibility standards for this use case of AI are currently applied and would be guided by both the government’s Data Ethics Framework and Service Standard.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent assessment she has made of the contribution of the space industry to the economy. \p Kanishka Narayan: The UK space sector plays a significant role in the UK economy. Data from the latest Size and Health of the UK Space Industry, published in August 2024, indicate that the UK space industry has more than double UK average productivity, and global satellite services underpin approximately 18% of the UK’s GDP. The UK space industry has 1,900 companies and makes £18.6 billion in revenue each year. The industry has a workforce of 55,600 that is exceptionally highly qualified, with 70% holding at least a primary degree.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to monitor the quality of the deployment of British Sign Language AI across public services; and whether Deaf people have been consulted on that deployment. \p Ian Murray: 85294: We are not aware of any digital public services currently using AI generated BSL content. The Service Manual and Service Standard guide service teams across the public sector on the design and development of digital services, including those enabled by AI.

A service must be accessible to everyone who needs it, including services only used by public servants. Digital services must meet level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.2) as a minimum and service teams must include disabled people and people who use assistive technologies in the design of those services.

The compliance of central government digital services with the WCAG regulations is monitored by the Government Digital Service.

85295: In addition to above (85294) c) services must make sure the non-digital parts of a service are accessible. For example, government departments must make sure that users who are deaf or have a speech impairment are offered a way to contacting the service (by text, email or in person with a British Sign Language translator or lip reader).

This standard would still apply if the service used BSL content that was AI generated.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure individual personal data is secure. \p Ian Murray: All organisations in the UK that process personal data have to comply with the requirements of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA). Amongst other things, the legislation requires organisations to have appropriate technical and security measures in place to protect personal data against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction, or damage.

Under the Data (Use and Access) Act, the Information Commissioner, the UK’s independent regulator for data protection, will have strengthened enforcement powers to hold organisations accountable in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the Submarine Telegraph Act 1885. \p Kanishka Narayan: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 17 July 2025 to Question UIN 66464.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has had recent discussions with Ofcom on the costs of the per-metre charging regime to rural network builders. \p Kanishka Narayan: As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for making regulatory decisions in the fixed telecoms sector, including on the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product.

DSIT is engaging on this issue with Ofcom at an official level. In July, we published our draft Statement of Strategic Priorities for telecommunications, the management of radio spectrum, and postal services that sets out the Government’s view on infrastructure sharing in the fixed telecoms sector, including asking Ofcom to demonstrate greater transparency in how they calculate and set PIA prices.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to provide oversight of the monitoring of the (a) quality of, (b) adequacy of engagement with deaf people and (b) other aspects of the deployment of British Sign Language AI systems in public services. \p Ian Murray: The Government Digital Service set and assess the cross government digital service standard. Before going live, services are assessed against this 14-point standard which includes the service team providing evidence for how the service is accessible to everyone who needs it.

To meet the standard and assessment, digital services must conduct research with disabled people, including Deaf users and where appropriate to the service provision, those who use sign language or a sign language interpreter to interact with the service.

Services must make sure any BSL video is culturally appropriate by working with the BSL community, testing it, or getting feedback.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Dan Norris:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of progress on improving broadband coverage in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency. \p Kanishka Narayan: Good progress on improving broadband coverage has been made in the North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

According to the independent website ThinkBroadband.com, approximately 91% of premises in this constituency have access to gigabit-capable broadband (of 1000 Mbps or faster), this is up from 87% in 2024. This figure exceeds the UK average, which currently stands at 89%.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Stephen Flynn:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has made an assessment with her counterpart in the Scottish government on the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to allow broadband providers to access communal areas in multi dwelling units with majority owner consent. \p Kanishka Narayan: As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement on 21 July we will consult on policy measures later in the autumn to create a new right for leaseholders in England and Wales to request a gigabit broadband connection and a duty for freeholders to not unreasonably refuse the request. We are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on the policy proposals and we will seek to legislate for these measures when parliamentary time allows.

Scottish Tenements are a devolved matter and governed by Scotland. We're engaging with the Devolved Nations on a range of issues relating to the deployment of digital infrastructure, including issues relating to access.

Multiple Dwelling Units (MDUs) that remain not covered by commercial plans will be in scope for support for full fibre rollout through Project Gigabit.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2025 to Question 62291 on Broadband: Newton Abbot, what steps her Department is taking to expand broadband coverage for rural communities with market competition. \p Kanishka Narayan: As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for making regulatory decisions in the fixed telecoms sector, including on the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product.

In July, we published our draft Statement of Strategic Priorities for telecommunications, the management of radio spectrum, and postal services that sets out the Government’s view on infrastructure sharing in the fixed telecoms sector, including asking Ofcom to demonstrate greater transparency in how they calculate and set PIA prices.

The draft Statement also sets out how Ofcom can continue to support the roll-out of broadband across the UK, including in rural areas, by promoting competition.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Dr Ben Spencer:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether (a) Government services and (b) critical national infrastructure faced disruption as a result of the Microsoft Azure outage on Wednesday 29 October 2025; and what estimate her Department has made of the cost to the economy of that service outage. \p Ian Murray: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is leading Government’s response to the Microsoft Azure outage that took place on Wednesday 29 October 2025. We understand that all Azure services were restored on Wednesday evening, and DSIT is in contact with Microsoft to understand how such events can be mitigated in the future.

DSIT has identified disruption to online Government services across several departments, which were restored within hours of the incident.

We are not aware of any major disruption arising from this event affecting Critical National Infrastructure but will continue to work with relevant operators to understand the full impact.

The outage affected a wide range of organisations across all sectors and it will take some time to fully understand the scale of the economic impact.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Sir Iain Duncan Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, for what reason the Government Digital Service does not list Taiwan as a place of residence. \p Ian Murray: Government Digital Service currently uses the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) list of recognised countries to ensure consistency across UK government services. This policy is under review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Yasmin Qureshi:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to help reduce the (a) number of steps required and (b) time taken to remove (i) honours and (ii) titles. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: Peerages, styles, titles and honours are granted by the Sovereign.

The Sovereign may change the entitlement to the titles and styles such as “Prince” and “Royal Highness” under the Royal Prerogative. An Act of Parliament is required to remove a peerage once conferred.

Honours can only be revoked by the Sovereign, typically following a recommendation by the Forfeiture Committee to the Prime Minister.