theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-28)

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Ben Coleman:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of the 3 February 2025 to Question 26386 on Children: Hearing Impairment, whether the expected apprenticeship in Sensory Impairment will be funded via the Apprenticeship Levy; and when course providers will be told the final decision on funding for the course so that they can start to accept applications for the planned September 2025 start. \p Janet Daby: The government is committed to spreading opportunities and economic growth with the support of a strong skills system.

This government has an extremely challenging fiscal inheritance. There are tough choices that need to be taken on how funding should be prioritised in order to generate opportunities for young people that enable them to make a start in good, fulfilling careers. The government will therefore be asking more employers to step forward and fund a significant number of level 7 apprenticeships themselves. The department is taking advice from Skills England, who engaged with employers over the autumn, and the department expects to make a final decision on affected apprenticeships, including the pending level 7 apprenticeship in sensory impairment, shortly.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-28)

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Andrew Pakes:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Skills England will be required to comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equalities Act 2010. \p Janet Daby: Skills England will be required to comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) under the Equality Act 2010. While currently operating in shadow form, Skills England will (subject to final approvals) be established as an Executive Agency of the department, and as such will be subject to the same requirements as the rest of the department.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has considered PSED in her decision making in the development of Skills England.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of school sensory equipment; and what steps she is taking to ensure the adequacy of that equipment. \p Catherine McKinnell: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

All education settings have duties under the Equality Act 2010 towards individual disabled children and young people. Part 6 of the Equality Act outlines that schools must make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services for disabled children, to prevent them being put at a substantial disadvantage.

The government’s ambition is that all children and young people receive the right support to achieve and thrive in their education and as they move into adult life.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has announced £740 million of high needs capital for the 2025/26 financial year to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and/or who are in alternative provision.

This funding can be used to adapt classrooms to better meet the needs of all children including the provision of sensory equipment within mainstream schools, alongside continuing to provide and adapt spaces to support pupils with the most complex needs in special schools.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much additional funding her Department has allocated to Nottinghamshire County Council for special educational needs provision following the Autumn Budget 2024. \p Catherine McKinnell: This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

Following the Autumn Budget 2024, the department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to £11.9 billion. Of that total, Nottinghamshire County Council is being allocated over £130 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of £10.8 million on this year’s DSG high needs block, calculated using the high needs national funding formula (NFF). This NFF allocation is an 8.6% increase per head of their 2 to 18-year-old population, on their equivalent 2024/25 NFF allocation.

In addition to the DSG, local authorities will also receive a separate core schools budget grant (CSBG), and funding in respect of the increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions, in the 2025/26 financial year. This CSBG continues the separate grants payable this year, which are to help special schools and alternative provision with the costs of teachers’ pay and pension increases and other staff pay increases. Individual local authorities’ allocations for both grants for 2025/26 will be published in due course.
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Dr Ben Spencer:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility to people who are digitally excluded of the consultation entitled School accountability reform. \p Catherine McKinnell: Consultation documents set out, within the first few pages, alternative ways that respondents can obtain copies in alternative formats, and how to respond through methods other than the online system.

The department can be contacted by post or email to request an alternative format of the form. For people who do not have easy access to digital devices, these consultations run for 12 weeks to give sufficient opportunity to respond if digital access is not readily available.

The government takes a digital-by-default approach to communication and participation but aims to mitigate risks faced by those considered to be digitally excluded.
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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the (a) level of support and (b) opportunities to access long-term education for people with cerebral palsy with no cognitive impairment. \p Catherine McKinnell: I refer the hon. Member for Hinckley and Bosworth to the answer of 14 January 2025 to Question 22163.
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Antonia Bance:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will place in the Library of the House of Commons a table setting out (a) whether it is a maintained school or an academy trust, (b) by which local authority it is maintained, or to which trust it belongs, (c) the URN of the school, (d) the name of the school, (e) the Parliamentary constituency in which that school is located and (f) the most recent single headline grade which that school was given by Ofsted for every school in the English schools system which was most recently inspected by Ofsted before 1 September 2024. \p Catherine McKinnell: The data requested is available on the Get Information About Schools (GIAS) webpage and can be accessed at: https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/Groups/Search?tok=8UqndC6e and https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/Establishments/Search?tok=8UqkAM1u.

GIAS is a live database. Schools, colleges and academy trusts can make changes to it at any time. The data can be downloaded via the ’Downloads’ link at the top of the page.

GIAS links to each institution’s Ofsted page rather than presenting their overall effectiveness grade, however, a spreadsheet containing all school and colleges’ grades as at 31 August 2024 can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/state-funded-schools-inspections-and-outcomes-as-at-31-august-2024.
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Phil Brickell:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support the outdoor education industry. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department believes all children and young people should have access to outdoor learning and the opportunity to learn about and connect with nature. Access to green space has been shown to have positive impacts on the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of young people. The National Education Nature Park, a key initiative of our Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, provides the opportunities for children and young people to benefit from spending time in nature.

The department is also working to make sure that all children and young people have access to a variety of enrichment opportunities at school, including outdoor learning, as an important part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity. We recognise that these activities are a vital way for children and young people to gain skills, supporting them to achieve and thrive. Outdoor education specifically is linked to improved motivation, social capital and sense of belonging in school.

Beyond outdoor education through schools, many outdoor education organisations could be considered out-of-school settings. The government recognises that out-of-school settings can supplement schools’ learning and enriching activities for children, with significant educational benefits for children’s mental health, wellbeing, and social development.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number of children who do not speak English as a first language. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department publishes information on whether a pupil’s first language is known or believed to be other than English. This data can be found in the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ publication, which is based on the January school census. The most recent figures are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.

A pupil is recorded to have English as an additional language if they are exposed to a language at home that is known or believed to be other than English. This measure is not a measure of English language proficiency or a good proxy for recent immigration.
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Mr Lee Dillon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to publish the draft guidance for gender questioning children in schools. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department is currently reviewing the draft non-statutory guidance for schools and colleges on gender questioning children, in addition to reviewing the statutory guidance on relationships, sex and health education.

​My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has been clear that children’s wellbeing must be at the heart of this guidance and, as such, the government is looking carefully at the consultation responses, discussing with stakeholders and considering the relevant evidence, including the final report of the Cass Review which was published post-consultation, before setting out next steps.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the Government’s plan to convert empty classrooms into school-based nurseries to include dedicated, small-scale SEND provision in geographies where formal SEND school places are limited and heavily oversubscribed. \p Catherine McKinnell: This government is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs. Many mainstream settings are already going above and beyond to deliver specialist provision locally, including through resourced provision and special educational needs units.

The department provides local authorities with capital funding to support them to meet their statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities or who require alternative provision. In December my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced £740 million in High Needs Provision Capital Allocations (HNPCA) for the 2025/26 financial year.

This funding can be used to deliver new places in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings, and to improve the suitability and accessibility of existing buildings. Local authorities are best placed to make decisions about how they spend this funding, and they may invest in creating new provision in currently empty classrooms where that is appropriate to address their local needs.

The department expects to publish local authorities’ individual HNPCA allocations for the 2025/26 financial year in the spring.
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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will provide (a) additional resources and (b) oversight mechanisms to ensure local authorities provide educational, health and care plan assessments in a timely manner. \p Catherine McKinnell: This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The department is providing almost £1 billion more for high needs budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding to £11.9 billion. This funding is a 9% cash increase in funding compared to 2024/25 and will help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with complex SEND.

The department is working closely with experts on reforms, recently appointing a strategic advisor for SEND, who will play a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families as we consider the next steps for the future of SEND reform.

We want to ensure that, where required, education, health and care (EHC) needs assessments are progressed promptly and, if they are needed, plans are issued as quickly as possible so that children and young people can access the support they require.

Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to assess whether children and young people have special educational needs that require an EHC plan. EHC plans must be issued within 20 weeks of the needs assessment commencing so that children and young people can access the required support. In 2023, there were 138,200 initial requests for an EHC plan and 90,500 assessments took place. 50.3% of new EHC plans in 2023 were issued within 20 weeks.

The department knows that local authorities have seen an increase in the number of assessment requests and that more must be done to ensure that local areas deliver effective and timely services.
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Shockat Adam:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to Article 7 of UN Resolution A/78/L.67/Rev.1, if she will take steps to introduce observance of the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica to the National Curriculum. \p Catherine McKinnell: Schools are free to decide which events to commemorate and what activities to put in place to support pupils’ understanding of significant events and particular months or days dedicated to specific historical events, such as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica.

Schools also have the opportunity to mark such events though the curriculum, and to teach about the Srebrenica Genocide, for example, through subjects such as history and citizenship.
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Charlie Maynard:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of (a) children and (b) young people who are on the waiting list for an education, health and care plan in Oxfordshire; and how many and what proportion of those people have been waiting for longer than 20 weeks. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department collects information on the number of requests for an education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment, the number of EHC needs assessments carried out, and the number of EHC plans issued on a calendar year basis. The latest figures we hold relate to the 2023 calendar year. We do not hold information on the current caseload being dealt with by the local authority.

Information on the number of requests for an education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment, the number of EHC needs assessments carried out, and the number of EHC plans issued within 20 weeks from the date of the request for an EHC needs assessment in relation to Oxfordshire is shown in the following table: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/95ca811a-c2f6-4b97-6d62-08dd48e2728c.
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Dr Ben Spencer:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology of the adequacy of the accessibility of the consultation entitled Improving the way Ofsted inspects education, published on 3 February 2025. \p Catherine McKinnell: This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
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Ayoub Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase the nutritional value of breakfast meals provided by primary schools. \p Stephen Morgan: The department is committed to delivering on our pledge to provide free breakfast clubs in every state-funded school with primary-aged children, starting with more than 750 early adopter schools from April 2025.

The School Food Standards statutory guidance, which regulate the food and drink provided at school, already apply to breakfasts. Compliance with the Standards is mandatory for maintained schools, academies and free schools.

Alongside the existing School Food Standards, in January, the department published guidance for the early adopter schools which provides additional helpful guidance on which foods should be served at breakfast clubs.
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Harpreet Uppal:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of using enrichment activities on rates of student absenteeism. \p Stephen Morgan: For children to achieve and thrive, they need to be in school. The department is working to make sure that all children and young people have access to a variety of enrichment opportunities at school as an important part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity. Absence is a key barrier we seek to break.

High standards can only be built on a foundation of belonging at school. Thanks to the hard work of the sector there has been progress, but we remain a long way off pre-pandemic levels.

The department recognises that enrichment activities are a vital way for children and young people to gain skills and strengthen their sense of school belonging, supporting them to achieve and thrive. We know how important it is to ensure that opportunities are available for all children and young people. For example, the department is providing over £2.9 billion this financial year for the pupil premium grant to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in state-funded schools in England. Schools must use this funding in line with the department’s ‘menu of approaches’, which is based on the evidence of how best to improve attainment for disadvantaged pupils. This includes the flexibility to use pupil premium to tackle non-academic barriers to success, including providing enrichment opportunities to benefit those pupils who may not be able to have access otherwise.

Additionally, the National Wraparound Childcare Programme is improving the availability of childcare across the country and providing additional support for parents. The programme aims to ensure all parents are able to access full time wraparound childcare beyond the school day, enabling parents to work and supporting children with enriching opportunities.

The department will continue to monitor the evidence base for the impact of enrichment activities and a variety of factors that support attendance. In addition to ensuring children have access to enrichment activities, we are also tackling absence by expanding our attendance mentor programme, rolling out breakfast clubs to all primary schools, and providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with his Republic of Ireland counterpart on military cooperation on the island of Ireland. \p Luke Pollard: The Secretary of State for Defence wrote to the new Tánaiste following his appointment in January 2025, congratulating him on his appointment, and the Chief of Defence Staff visited Ireland on 12 and 13 February, where he met the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces and Secretary General of the Department of Defence.
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James Wild:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many operational drones are held by the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Royal Air Force and (c) Army. \p Luke Pollard: Details of the number of Unmanned Aircraft Systems held by the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Army are published in the UK Armed Forces Equipment and Formations on gov.uk. The statistics for 2024 can be found at the following link: UK armed forces equipment and formations 2024 - Accredited official statistics announcement - GOV.UK.
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James Wild:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2024 to Question 28652 on Ministers: Aviation, how much air passenger duty has been paid for ministerial travel on the RAF Envoy since 5 Jul 2024. \p Maria Eagle: The total amount of Air Passenger Duty paid for Ministers who travelled on the RAF Envoy between 5 July and 31 December 2024 is £4,282.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with Edinburgh City Council on the visitor levy. \p Ian Murray: Tourism is a key industry for Scotland, and I am promoting the country around the world as part of my Brand Scotland work. However, visitor levies are becoming increasingly common around Europe.

Tourism is a devolved area and in this case a matter for Edinburgh Council.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has taken steps to promote the use of the Ulster-Scots dialect. \p Hilary Benn: The Northern Ireland Executive is responsible for implementing the provisions of the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022, including those provisions which allow for the establishment of an Irish Language Commissioner and a Commissioner for the Ulster Scots and the Ulster British tradition. In May 2023, the Government commenced the provisions in the Act required for the Executive Office to begin to progress work in relation to these appointments. The Government expects the Executive Office will make an announcement in due course regarding next steps on implementation of the legislation.

This week, the Government commenced Section 5 of the Act which places a duty on the Department of Education in Northern Ireland to encourage and facilitate the use and understanding of Ulster Scots in the education system

My officials continue to work closely with the Northern Ireland Executive on this, and I look forward to implementation of the Act which will enshrine respect and tolerance for Northern Ireland’s traditions.
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Jim Allister:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the implementation of Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2533 and Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2534 on (a) businesses selling tumble dryers in Northern Ireland, (b) consumers buying tumble dryers in Northern Ireland and (c) Northern Ireland after 1 July 2025. \p Hilary Benn: The Government is committed to increasing the environmental performance of energy-related products. In support of that, the Government will be consulting on adopting measures equivalent to Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2533 and Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2534 in domestic law. Subject to the outcome of that consultation, such measures would ensure a consistent regime across the UK.
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Alex Easton:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a comparative assessment of the cost to the public purse for (a) inquiries and (b) legal proceedings relating to (i) the deaths of four men following the use of lethal force in County Tyrone in February 1992 and (ii) other lethal incidents involving the IRA from the same period. \p Hilary Benn: The cost of public inquiries will differ according to the scope of each Inquiry. The cost of legal proceedings will also differ substantially according to the scope of each case. It is not therefore possible to provide an accurate comparative assessment of the cost to the public purse of those respective undertakings.

The Northern Ireland Office’s spend on legal costs is included within our Annual Report and Accounts, although we do not differentiate between legal costs we incur and costs we pay to claimants’ lawyers. Costs for public inquiries are published by the Inquiries themselves.
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Charlie Maynard:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February to Question 28625 on Rules of Origin, what criteria will be used to determine the benefits, risks and the national interest of joining the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention on Rules of Origin. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: Rules of origin are often highly technical and there are many factors that influence how businesses experience using these rules and whether they would benefit from different rules - from the different types of paperwork involved, to the make-up of their supply chains. We are regularly talking to businesses about their experience and how we can remove trade barriers and support growth. There is also a significant interaction with the existing rules we have with the EU and in our FTAs with PEM partners that would require consideration.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of AI zones on local infrastructure. \p Feryal Clark: The AI Opportunities Action Plan outlines how the UK can build the cutting-edge compute infrastructure needed to lead in AI development and deployment, securing long-term economic growth and staying at the forefront of AI innovation.

AI Growth Zones will encourage the development of advanced AI data centres in areas of the country with plentiful power, such as post-industrial towns and areas with significant renewable energy capacity.

The investment in AI-enabled data centres will have a spillover effect in local communities, providing jobs, improving local infrastructure, rejuvenating areas, and driving the UK’s ambition to become a global hub for AI talent and investment.

The Growth Zones will help secure the UK’s position as a global leader in AI innovation and will deliver substantial regional and national benefits.
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Jas Athwal:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department taking to make government digital services as accessible as possible, including for those without strong digital skills. \p Feryal Clark: The Government wants to put digital inclusion at the heart of how we deliver better designed, time-saving public services, to ensure as many people as possible can access public services digitally. Our ambition is for everyone in the UK to have the access, skills, support and confidence to participate in our modern digital society, whatever their circumstances.

On accessibility, there is a globally recognised standard for accessibility for Web Content, and though digital accessibility is an important part of designing an inclusive service, meeting the standards does not guarantee an inclusive service. We will be exploring how to extend the scope of the standards beyond central government into the wider public sector and looking at revising them to include inclusive service design.

Promoting digital inclusion is a priority for this Government, and we will be working closely with key partners in charities, businesses and local authorities to make sure that no one is left without the tools to engage fully in society. We hope to announce more on this soon.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to take steps to support small businesses whose intellectual property and trademarks are being challenged by large corporate firms; and to if he will make an assessment of whether legal fees for small businesses subjected to such unmeritorious claims should be routinely paid by the applicant where cases are successfully defended at Intellectual Property Office hearings. \p Feryal Clark: The Government recognises the challenges faced by small businesses who become involved in litigation. Small businesses and unrepresented parties litigating at the IPO Tribunal have high levels of support available, including being able to email or phone expert staff directly, who can provide explanations and assistance. The Tribunal routinely awards costs in favour of the winning party, considering the merits of the case and the conduct of the parties. Costs are usually awarded on a standard scale but larger costs awards are made where appropriate. Claims which are totally without merit can also be struck out at an early stage.
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Euan Stainbank:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) UK-based creators have the necessary (i) tools and (ii) support to opt out of AI training and (b) AI developers respect the intellectual property rights of UK-based creators. \p Feryal Clark: The Government published a consultation on Copyright and AI in December 2024.

This consultation seeks views on proposals to introduce a package of measures, which includes a requirement for AI developers to be more transparent about how they obtain their training material, to enable copyright to be respected and more easily enforced.

The proposals include a rights reservation mechanism. This would need to be simple, practical, and accessible to both individual creators and larger rights holders. The Government welcomes feedback from UK-based creators on this approach, and how it will work in practice.

The consultation closed on 25 February.
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Paula Barker:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the growth of AI on individual employment sectors. \p Feryal Clark: We are already witnessing AI’s impact within the labour market: transforming the workplace, demanding new skills and displacing old ones. The Government will work to harness the benefits that AI can bring – such as productivity gains, rising living standards, and improved worker wellbeing – while managing potential risks.

The Get Britain Working White Paper from DWP, HMT and DfE sets out how we will address key labour market challenges. We continue to work closely with these and other government departments through the AI Opportunities Action Plan.
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Chris Law:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department supervises data stored by (a) Amazon AWS and (b) Microsoft Azure at data centres located on UK territory. \p Chris Bryant: DSIT does not directly supervise the storage of data in specific UK data centres by specific companies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_168

Danny Beales:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to promote universities as centres for industrial innovation; and if he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of including them in the Industrial Strategy. \p Feryal Clark: Government has committed to developing an ambitious Industrial Strategy in partnership with business, devolved governments, regions and other stakeholders. This includes universities, who play a key role in driving local and national economic growth – in 2023, UK university spinouts raised £1.66 billion in equity funding, 9.5% of all equity funding raised by UK companies.
wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_169
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_169

Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he is planning to introduce any new guidelines or regulations for dating app providers to address the risks of online stalking. \p Feryal Clark: This government has set an unprecedented mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. The Online Safety Act forces in scope services to reduce the risk of illegal content being encountered on their services. Platforms must focus on ‘priority offences’, including content which amounts to stalking and must reduce the risk of priority offences being committed on their services.

Ofcom is the regulator for this new regime, and it will have extensive enforcement powers to take action where companies do not comply with their new duties.
wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_170
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_170

Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much has been spent on the Charity Research Support Fund since 2010; and what the average income reported from charities by universities is in the same period. \p Feryal Clark: This data is publicly available. Charity income for universities can be found in the HESA website (HE Finance Data | HESA). CRSF allocations can be found on the Research England website (e.g. Research England grant allocations basis 2024 to 2025 – UKRI) and for data pre-dating the creation of Research England in the HEFCE archives (Archive Timeline - UK Government Web Archive).
wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_171
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_171

Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the contribution of the charity research support fund to (a) sustaining research investment from charities in universities and (b) supporting the financial sustainability of universities who receive a large number of charity grants. \p Feryal Clark: UKRI Research England is undertaking a review of their approach to their formula-based research funding, delivered in England through Quality-related Research (QR). This activity is called the Strategic Institutional Research Funding (SIRF) review. The review will consider the fundamental principles and the effectiveness of their current funding allocation mechanisms, in consultation with the higher education sector and wider stakeholders. This review is anticipated to continue until 2030 and will be made up of a number of discrete stages. As part of QR, Charity Research Support Fund (CRSF) is within the scope of this review.
wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_172
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_172

Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to improve the financial sustainability of charity funded research in universities. \p Feryal Clark: The Government is determined to work with the sector to transition to sustainable research funding models, including by increasing research grant cost recovery. Charity funded research forms a vital part of the UK's R&D landscape, creating valuable research in the life sciences and beyond.
wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_173
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_173

Bradley Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to protect freedom of speech in (a) online and (b) electronic communications. \p Feryal Clark: DSIT is implementing the Online Safety Act to protect children and adults online. The Act’s duties apply to services that allow users to post content online or to interact with each other. Protections for freedom of expression are built in throughout the framework. Services must have ‘particular regard’ to the impact on users’ rights to freedom of expression when implementing policies under the Act.

Ofcom, as the independent Regulator, must act in a way that is compatible with the European Convention of Human Rights, including in relation to freedom of expression when developing codes of practice and making enforcement decisions.
wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_174
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_174

Charlie Maynard:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using technologies such as (a) organ-on-a-chip and (b) computer modelling to reduce the number of animals used in medical research testing. \p Feryal Clark: Phasing out animal testing where possible is a clear goal of this government and innovative technologies, such as organ-on-a-chip, are essential to delivering this ambition.

The Government invests £10m annually in The National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs). NC3Rs provides major funding for one of Europe’s largest organ-on-a-chip facilities at Queen Mary University. Studies we have funded have assessed the use of such technologies, such as a 2021 NC3R report . We will consider these studies in a strategy published later this year to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods.
wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_175
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_175

Liam Conlon:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to improve the access to digital services for small businesses in Beckenham and Penge constituency. \p Chris Bryant: The government is committed to delivering nationwide gigabit connectivity coverage by 2030. According to the independent website, Thinkbroadband.com, 93% of premises, including business premises, in the Beckenham and Penge constituency are already able to access gigabit speeds. According to Ofcom’s Connected Nations report, over 99% of the constituency is covered by a 4G signal from at least one operator.

No-one, anywhere in the UK, should have difficulty using government services. The Government is committed to ensuring that its online and digital services are as accessible as possible for citizens and businesses.

Although there are globally recognised standards for digital accessibility, this is only part of designing an inclusive service. That is why we will be revising the government service standards to incorporate requirements covering wider issues of inclusion and looking at extending their scope into the wider public sector.
wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_176
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_176

Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the roll out of broadband in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) Leicestershire and (c) Mid Leicestershire constituency. \p Chris Bryant: According to the independent website Thinkbroadband.com, over 86% of premises in the UK can now access a gigabit-capable connection. In Leicestershire this figure is currently at 83%, and for the Mid Leicestershire constituency it is over 89%.

As of the end of March 2024, over one million premises in the UK had been upgraded to gigabit-capable broadband through government-funded programmes. Under Project Gigabit, more than £2 billion of contracts have been signed to provide gigabit-capable coverage to over a million more premises. The vast majority of the premises to be covered by these contracts will be in rural areas.

CityFibre is currently delivering a £77 million Project Gigabit contract for Leicestershire and Warwickshire, which includes eligible premises in both the Leicestershire and the Mid Leicestershire constituency.
wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_177
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_177

Charlie Maynard:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for the Home Department to reduce overall and upfront immigration costs for researchers. \p Feryal Clark: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has regular discussions with the Home Office, and with other government departments, to ensure that the UK’s world-class science, research, technology and innovation sectors are supported by a competitive visa system and immigration offer.

Since 2023, UKRI allows Immigration Health Surcharge costs as well as other visa costs to be covered by their grants. Many other organisations also allow these costs on their grants, and the Immigration Health Surcharge are allowable costs on Horizon Europe grants.

Immigration fees ensure that those benefiting from the borders system and the NHS contribute to its costs, reducing taxpayer funding. The Home Office keeps fees for immigration and nationality applications under review.
wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_178
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_178

Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an estimate of how many and what proportion of (a) children, (b) adults and (c) pensioners in digital poverty in each year since 2018. \p Chris Bryant: There is no single accepted definition of digital poverty, but we know that digital exclusion impacts people broadly across demographics with some, including older people, at higher risk.

According to Ofcom in 2024, 6% of UK adults did not have internet access at home. For those aged 75+, the figure is 29%. 34% of households with school-aged children did not have an appropriate device for accessing online schoolwork.

This Government is determined to remedy this by closing the digital divide and ensuring everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to participate in our modern digital society, whatever their circumstances.
wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_179
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-28 conversation_179

Paula Barker:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether funding made available for the AstraZeneca vaccine project in Liverpool will remain available for other life science projects in the Liverpool City region. \p Feryal Clark: The Government supports the vibrant life sciences sector, which contributes £108 billion to the economy and 300,000 jobs nationwide. A new Life Sciences Sector Plan, part of the upcoming Industrial Strategy, is due to be published in late Spring. This will set out a comprehensive plan of how the Government intends to drive growth in the sector. In addition, the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund will allocate up to £520 million to deliver economic growth and build health resilience, and is available UK-wide, including to projects in the Liverpool City region