theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to enhance the (a) security and (b) safety of worshippers at places of worship in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (ii) Staffordshire. \p Dan Jarvis: This Government is absolutely committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion at their chosen place of worship, and to making our streets and communities safer, including providing funding through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, the Protective Security for Mosques scheme and the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to issue public guidance on the limitations and risks of self-swab rape kits in order to ensure survivors of sexual violence are directed to Sexual Assault Referral Centres. \p Jess Phillips: We recognise the devastating impact of sexual violence, which is why we are absolutely committed to tackling rape and sexual offences and achieving the best possible outcome for victims.

We are aware of self-swabbing kits being promoted and made available to victims of sexual violence. These kits are in no way associated with the Government’s VAWG mission.

The National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection has produced guidance for police forces outlining the steps officers should take when investigating a case which involves a self-swab. The Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine and other criminal justice agencies have also published a joint position statement on this topic, which does not advocate for the use of self-swabbing kits.

There are many types of support available for those who have been a victim of a sexual offence, this includes the 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line and Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs). We recommend that victims of sexual violence attend a SARC, where trained clinicians can provide holistic care and forensic evidence can be collected in accordance with established standards.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to ensure the removal of Fabian Henry from the UK since February 2021. \p Alex Norris: While I understand the strong public interest in this individual due to their horrific crimes, it is a longstanding government policy that we do not routinely comment on individual cases.

However, I can assure the Honourable Member that the Home Office is committed to delivering justice for victims and safer streets for our communities by resolutely pursuing the deportation of foreign nationals who break our laws.

Since July 2024, 5,179 foreign national offenders have been returned, an increase of 14% compared with same period 12 months prior.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the cost of private operator exit arrangements during the transition to Great British Railways. \p Simon Lightwood: The process to close National Rail Contracts is set out in the contract themselves which are published on the gov.uk website. The process ensures value for money for the taxpayer is protected from the outgoing operator as the balance sheets are unwound and revenues collected on the Department’s behalf in accordance with the contract.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has set limits on financial support for rail operating losses under Great British Railways. \p Simon Lightwood: As per the GBR consultation document, government funding for rail service provision will continue to be determined via Spending Reviews.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the changes made to national road maintenance capital allocations at the 2025 Spending Review on local highway maintenance performance indicators. \p Simon Lightwood: At the Spending Review, the Government announced £24 billion of capital funding between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve our motorways and local roads across the country. This funding increase will allow National Highways and local authorities to invest in significantly improving the long-term condition of England’s road network, delivering faster, safer and more reliable journeys.

This includes £1 billion for key local highway enhancement projects and a new Structures Fund for repairing run-down bridges, decaying flyovers and worn-out tunnels.

The Government will confirm highways maintenance funding allocations for local highway authorities in due course.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support (a) South Western Railway and (b) Network Rail in improving the West of England mainline to prevent soil moisture deficits impacting rail journeys on that route. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department is in regular discussion with South Western Railway and Network Rail on the monitoring of conditions on the West of England Line to ensure services are restored as soon as it is safe to do so. Once soil moisture levels improve and the ground begins to rehydrate and settle, engineers will carry out lasting repairs to stabilise the embankments and restore track levels, allowing the normal timetable to return.

Network Rail have plans for regional weather resilience and climate change adaptation, with £2.8 billion set aside at a national level in Control Period 7. We will work closely with Network Rail Wessex to ensure appropriate action is taken on the West of England line to minimise the risk of soil moisture deficit in future.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of vehicles subsidised through the Electric Vehicle Grant Scheme were manufactured outside the United Kingdom in 2025–26. \p Keir Mather: The Department is unable to confirm the proportion of vehicles supported by Electric Car Grant that were manufactured outside the United Kingdom as the 2025/26 sales year is ongoing and grants are only paid following the vehicle’s delivery to the customer, which can extend up to nine months from the point an order is made.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of road user charges on haulage sector costs since July 2024. \p Keir Mather: The Department engages with the road haulage industry regularly about issues faced by the sector, including cost pressures.
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Steve Yemm:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) monitoring and (b) enforcement mechanisms are in place to ensure manufacturers comply with the prohibition on pause functions in Audible Vehicle Alert Systems for new (i) electric and (ii) hybrid vehicles registered from 1 September 2023. \p Simon Lightwood: All new vehicles are subject to type approval. Vehicle approval requirements were introduced on 1 July 2021 mandating Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) on new types of quiet electric and hybrid vehicles. The use of pause switched to temporarily disable the AVAS have been prohibited for new vehicles being placed on the market from September 2023. Vehicles sold prior to these dates are only required to meet the approval requirements mandated at the time they were placed on the market.

The department does not have any figures for the number of vehicles with AVAS, or that have a pause switch.

As part of compliance and enforcement, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s Market Surveillance Unit (MSU) inspects and tests vehicles and components on the market to ensure they comply with environmental and safety standards. The MSU conducts an annual programme of surveillance, including physical tests and inspections, as well as responding to intelligence provided by industry or the general public.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve access to concessionary bus travel for disabled people. \p Simon Lightwood: Concessionary travel is a devolved policy area so the administrative arrangements in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland differ from those in England.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age. Local authorities in England have the power to use local resources to fund further concessions in addition to their statutory obligations, for example, extending the times travel passes can be used.

The government has confirmed over £1 billion for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services for passengers can be used in whichever way they wish, including enhancing the concessionary travel offering for disabled people in the local area.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding her Department is providing to local authorities to improve the (a) quality and (b) accessibility of pavements for (i) wheelchair users, (ii) people with mobility impairments and (iii) other people. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department provides a range of funding streams to local authorities that can be used to improve the quality and accessibility of pavements for wheelchair users, people with mobility impairments, and other pedestrians.

In 2025/26, local authorities will receive a share of £1.6 billion highways maintenance capital funding, which includes a £500 million uplift from 2024/25. Authorities are encouraged to adopt a whole-life asset management approach, which includes maintaining footways and ensuring accessibility for all users.

In addition, the Integrated Transport Block and Local Transport Grant provide a combined total of £396 million in 2025/26 to support local transport enhancements, including improvements to pedestrian infrastructure. Eight eligible Mayoral Combined Authorities will also receive £5.7bn in funding between 2022 and 2027, to invest in local transport improvements, including enhancements to accessibility.

Beyond these funding pots, the Department has also announced dedicated funding for walking, wheeling and cycling. In the Spending Review, the Government announced £616 million for Active Travel England from 2026/27 to 2029/30 to support local authorities to build and maintain walking and cycling infrastructure. This is in addition to the almost £300 million funding for active travel in 2024/25 and 2025/26 which was announced in February 2025. This will help local authorities to provide high-quality and easily accessible active travel schemes across England and will enable more children to walk and cycle to school.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department for Transport (DfT) has not run recruitment or internship schemes with the sole focus of increasing the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year. However, we have offered a range of recruitment and internship schemes designed to attract and develop talent.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on investigating private car park operators in instances of repeated disputes over charges where appeals to the (a) operator, (b) independent appeals service and (c) relevant accredited trade association have been rejected. \p Simon Lightwood: No such discussions have taken place. Responsibility for the policy and legislation governing car parking at off-street locations rests with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. This includes any issues relating to enforcement of off-street parking restrictions and associated representations and appeals procedures.
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Sarah Olney:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the next Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce Meeting will occur before 2026. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government intends to convene a further meeting of the Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce in the near future. Officials will be in touch to arrange the specifics of this in due course.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy to introduce a Dorset Railcard. \p Simon Lightwood: There are many local concessionary passes that are valid on National Rail, such as the Cornwall and Devon Railcard, which have been introduced by local authorities and train operators. Any discussions for a Dorset based railcard would be subject to engagement between the local area and South Western Railway as the relevant train operator.
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Alex Brewer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of early morning rail connectivity from North East Hampshire to (a) Gatwick Airport and (b) East Croydon. \p Simon Lightwood: Rail services between North East Hampshire and Gatwick Airport are provided by Great Western Railway (GWR) via the North Downs Line between Reading and Gatwick Airport via Guildford and Redhill. There are no direct services from North East Hampshire to East Croydon.

Passengers for East Croydon on this route or from North East Hampshire would need to change trains at Redhill or Gatwick Airport for services to East Croydon via the Brighton Main Line. The Department for Transport is open to proposals for service enhancements that provide improvements for passengers, improve performance, and reduce net subsidy.
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Cameron Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has to allow holders of disability-related concessionary bus passes to use their passes at all times on weekdays. \p Simon Lightwood: The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age. The ENCTS costs around £700 million annually and any changes to the statutory obligations, such as extending the travel time criteria, would therefore need to be carefully considered for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability.

However, local authorities in England do have the power to offer concessions in addition to their statutory obligations, for example, by extending the times travel passes can be used. These are additional local concessions provided and funded by local authorities from local resources. The government has also conducted a review of the ENCTS, which included considering travel times for disabled passholders, and is currently considering next steps.

The government has confirmed over £1 billion for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London and keep fares affordable. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Gloucestershire County Council has been allocated £8 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services for passengers can be used in whichever way they wish.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with Transport for London on improving safety on the London Underground. \p Simon Lightwood: Ministers and officials have regular conversations with Transport for London (TfL) on a variety of issues. However transport in London is devolved to the Mayor, and TfL is responsible for safety on the London Underground.
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Patricia Ferguson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many car practical driving test appointments were available in (a) October, (b) November and (c) December 2025 in (i) Scotland and (ii) Glasgow. \p Simon Lightwood: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.

As of 6 October in Scotland, there were 7,565 car practical driving tests booked and 26 available in October 25, 9,139 booked and 87 available in November 25,and 7,703 booked and 103 available in December 25.

As of 6 October in Glasgow, there were 1,440 car practical driving tests booked and 1 available in October 25, 1,567 booked and 7 available in November 25, and 1,401 booked and 1 available in December 25.

The average waiting time for Scotland in September 25 was 21 weeks.

DVSA encourages learner drivers to only use the official GOV.UK website to book and manage their driving test. The DVSA has published advice aimed at learner drivers warning them of the risks of using third party services/apps to book a practical driving test. Further information can be found on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/government/news/learner-drivers-warned-about-the-risks-of-driving-test-cancellation-finders.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to raise rail fares above the rate of inflation; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of any such increase on (a) passengers and (b) the economy. \p Simon Lightwood: No decisions have been made on next year’s rail fares, but our aim is that prices balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers.

There will be an update on changes to regulated rail fares in due course.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press notice entitled Transport Secretary forges landmark deal to progress new Swiss rail link, published on 9 May 2025, how many meetings of the joint UK–Swiss working group have been held as of 10 October 2025; what the cost to the public purse was for those meetings; how many staff hours have been spent on the development of the Memorandum of Understanding; how many (a) staff meetings and (b) meetings with her Swiss counterparts have been held in relation to the development of the Memorandum of Understanding. \p Simon Lightwood: The landmark agreement signed with Switzerland earlier this year established a UK–Swiss Working Group which could pave the way for direct commercial services between the UK and Switzerland in future.

As of 10 October 2025, one meeting of the joint UK–Swiss Working Group has been held. This took place in the UK on 16 September 2025. The costs of hosting this working group, excluding staff time, are estimated to be less than £800. The next working group meeting will be planned for the first quarter of 2026.

Whilst it is not possible to quantify the number of staff hours dedicated to developing the Memorandum of Understanding, officials have held a number of internal meetings and discussions with Swiss counterparts to support its development.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reopening the Poulton-le-Fylde to Fleetwood rail line. \p Simon Lightwood: Business case development from 2023 found a tram-train solution as the most promising option to connect Fleetwood and Poulton-le-Fylde, but it offered “poor” value for money. No further DfT funding has been prioritised in this Spending Review. It is now for Lancashire County Combined Authority to decide whether to prioritise further work.
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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had recent discussions with (a) RMT and (b) Cross Country Trains to seek a resolution to avoid strike action and no service on the (i) Birmingham, (ii) Leicester, (iii) Cambridge and (iv) Stansted Airport line through Hinckley station on (A) Saturday 18 October and (B) Saturday 1 November 2025. \p Simon Lightwood: It is for CrossCountry, as the employer, to negotiate terms and conditions with their staff. Officials have been kept advised of the situation with the dispute.

On Thursday 16th, sufficient progress had been made and RMT suspended strike action on Saturday 18th October, but unfortunately too late for many services to re-instated in a meaningful way. We understand CrossCountry talks continue with RMT on the remaining issues to resolve the dispute without further strikes.
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Navendu Mishra:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2025 to Question 42868 on Railways: Stockport, whether her Department has made an assessment with North Rail Partnership of the potential merits of implementing proposals to improve passenger services at Reddish South railway station. \p Simon Lightwood: We expect train operators to develop timetables that best match the capacity and frequency of their services to passenger demand in a way which is operationally sustainable and delivers value for taxpayers.

Current demand at Redditch South has not signalled a need to review the service patterns there. Rail North Partnership (RNP) will assess and assist with any proposal around services based on local or regional priorities put forward. For example, by Stockport Council or Transport for Great Manchester.

Any proposal must balance the economic and social benefits of any enhancement with the performance of existing services and the financial impact on taxpayer subsidy.

I have asked RNP to contact the Hon Member to discuss any proposals he wishes to present.
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Neil Coyle:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the supply of sustainable aviation fuel increases to match demand. \p Keir Mather: The Department for Transport is taking a comprehensive approach to ensure the supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) increases to match demand. In January 2025, the Government introduced the SAF Mandate, obligating jet fuel suppliers to blend increasing volumes of SAF into the UK aviation fuel mix, with targets rising from 2% in 2025 to 10% in 2030 and 22% in 2040. These targets were set following detailed analysis and engagement with industry stakeholders. To ensure the SAF Mandate reflects the latest technological and commercial developments, regular review points are built into the legislation, allowing targets to be revisited if required. The first formal review will be carried out before 2030.

To support supply, £63 million in grant funding has been allocated through the Advanced Fuels Fund for the current year, with continued support for SAF production through to 2029/30. The UK SAF Clearing House provides advice and support to SAF producers navigating the fuel testing landscape, helping to remove barriers to new fuels coming to market.

In addition, the Government has introduced legislation for a Revenue Certainty Mechanism to increase investor confidence and unlock investment in UK SAF production.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the feasibility of introducing mandatory transparency obligations requiring generative artificial intelligence developers to disclose which copyrighted works have been used in their training datasets. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Government published a consultation on 17 December 2024, seeking views on several topics relating to the interaction between copyright and artificial intelligence (AI), including seeking views on the use of copyright material in AI model development.

As part of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, the Government has committed to publish a report by 18 March 2026 that will consider a number of areas including transparency.

The Government is reviewing all responses to the consultation to help inform next steps. The Government will set out its position in due course.
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Ms Stella Creasy:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the additional £1.2 billion allocated to her Department in the Spending Review 2025 will be spent on. \p Ian Murray: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)’s SR25 Phase 2 settlement delivers on DSIT’s purpose to drive economic growth, improve the performance and productivity of government, and empower citizens, by providing total funding (TDEL) of £65 billion across the period. This includes £63 billion in capital investment from 2026/27 to 2029/30 (of which £58.5 billion is R&D funding), and £2 billon in day-to-day resource funding from 2026/27 to 2028/29.

For more information on the settlement, please refer to pages 94-95 of the Government’s Spending Review 2025 document.
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Graham Leadbitter:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the proposed digital ID would be accepted as identification to vote in general elections. \p Ian Murray: Once the new digital credential is available, the Government intends to add it to the list of acceptable forms of ID for use in voting in elections. It will not be required for voting, however, as other forms of ID will still be available. We will confirm the details of this closer to the launch of the new digital credential once further development has been completed.
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Gill German:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department plans to introduce statutory safeguards to help prevent AI chatbots from being used to simulate sexual (a) activity and (b) scenarios involving children. \p Kanishka Narayan: The government is committed to tackling the atrocious harm of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

The strongest protections in the Online Safety Act are for children – regulated services must remove illegal content and prevent children from encountering harmful content, including where it is AI generated.

The government has introduced an offence in the Crime and Policing Bill which criminalises possessing, creating or distributing AI tools designed to generate child sexual abuse material. We are committed to ensuring the UK is prepared for the changes AI will bring. When it comes to keeping children safe online, we will not hesitate to act.
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Graham Leadbitter:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the Digital ID will be accepted as proof of identification. \p Ian Murray: The Government has announced plans for a new national digital ID for all UK citizens and legal residents aged 16 and over. Employers will be required to conduct digital right to work checks using the new digital credential by the end of this parliament.

Through the consultation, the Government will be exploring the other circumstances in which it could be a choice for people to use this digital ID as proof of identification to make people’s lives less frustrating by giving them easier and more secure access to services. These could include things like getting support into work, accessing free childcare hours, checking free school meals, using financial services, buying a house, or buying alcohol.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions her Department has had with international counterparts on approaches to protecting intellectual property rights in the context of generative artificial intelligence. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Government has consulted on several topics relating to the interaction between copyright and artificial intelligence (AI), including on the use of copyright material in AI development.

As part of this work, the Government has engaged extensively, both with international counterparts and with industry stakeholders on the interaction between copyright and artificial intelligence (AI).

The Government will review the responses to its consultation carefully as it considers its next steps. The Government will continue to engage extensively on this issue and its proposals will be sent out in due course
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions her Department has had with representatives of the UK’s creative industries on (a) the Government’s proposed exception to copyright for text and data mining and (b) the potential impact of an opt out regime on creators’ rights and incomes. \p Kanishka Narayan: The government is engaging extensively with stakeholders from the creative industries on copyright and AI. This has included establishing a stakeholder working group to inform policy development.

Three initial stakeholder roundtables were convened in the Summer with representatives of the creative, media and AI sectors, by the Secretaries of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

Alongside this, DSIT officials continue to meet with creative industry representatives to discuss the proposals outlined in the consultation on copyright and AI, and their potential impacts.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of stimulating a licensing market for the use of copyrighted creative content by generative artificial intelligence firms. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Government consulted on copyright and AI between 17 December 2024 and 25 February 2025. This included seeking views on whether and how the government should support licensing.

Consultation responses are currently being reviewed alongside extensive engagement, which will include a dedicated technical working group on licensing which is due to be established. Together these will inform an assessment of the potential merits of stimulating the licensing market and any next steps to support both the creative and AI sectors. Proposals will be set out in due course.
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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department is taking steps with (a) Ofcom, (b) mobile network operators and (c) local authorities to explore community-level infrastructure solutions to improve mobile coverage in rural villages in (i) Wiltshire and (ii) Gloucestershire. \p Kanishka Narayan: Government encourages digital teams and planners within local authorities to work with Mobile Networlk Operators (MNOs) to improve rural coverage. We are also aware that many local authorities have carried out mobile coverage measurement surveys of their own to help inform them of mobile connectivity gaps.

Ensuring there is high quality mobile coverage right across the UK remains a priority for the Government, including in rural communities. However, it is for the market to determine how to deploy infrastructure to effectively achieve this ambition.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_329

Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure that existing copyright law is (a) upheld and (b) enforced in relation to the scraping and use of creative content by generative artificial intelligence developers without permission or payment. \p Kanishka Narayan: Copying protected material in the UK infringes copyright unless it is licensed, or an exception to copyright applies.

Rights holders are supported to enforce their rights by initiatives such as the streamlined procedures of the UK’s Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC).

The Government consulted on several topics relating to the interaction between copyright and artificial intelligence (AI), including the use of copyright material in AI development.

The Government will review the responses to its consultation carefully as it considers its next steps. The Government continues to engage extensively on this issue and will set our response in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_330

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an assessment of the role of social media in (a) improving and (b) undermining community cohesion. \p Kanishka Narayan: While social media can play an important role in society, it is unacceptable that people use it to spread hate and threaten our communities. Ofcom and DSIT use data and evidence to understand how potentially harmful content is encountered on social media, and the impacts this has on users. This includes users' experience of hate speech, disinformation, and content promoting terrorism, extremism, and radicalization, which can all undermine social cohesion.

The government engages with social media companies to make clear their responsibility to keep users safe, and with local authorities and communities to monitor the issues affecting cohesion, and work closely with them to bridge division and challenge hatred.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_331

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with Ofcom on the potential impact of its Passive Infrastructure Access pricing model on the economic viability of rural gigabit-capable broadband network builds. \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.

For this reason, while my officials are engaging with Ofcom on this issue, the Department has not made any specific assessment of the merits of introducing fiscal incentives to reduce how much rural operators pay for PIA.

My officials are regularly engaging with Ofcom to ensure that we have the right regulatory environment in place to promote competition and investment in the fibre roll-out.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_332

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the press release entitled Digital driving licence coming this year, published on 21 January 2025, what the commencement date is for the pilot of the mobile driver's license; what is the proposed duration of that pilot; and what the proposed timetable is for the national rollout of digital driving licences. \p Ian Murray: We will begin testing an early version of the digital driving licence with a small group of users later this year. The exact date and format of the trial hasn’t yet been finalised.

Following best practice in developing this type of digital product, testing and iterating will take place over a number of months.

This follows on from the Blueprint for Modern Digital Government, requiring services to issue a digitally verified credential alongside any paper/card-based credential or proof of entitlement eligibility by the end of 2027.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_333

Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the enforcement of the Malicious Communications Act 1988. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Online Safety Act introduced a number of communication offences, which were commenced in January 2024, including the false and threatening communications offences. The new communications offences have replaced the equivalent offences in the Malicious Communications Act 1988. In the January to December 2024 period, there were 14 convictions under the false communications offence and 294 under the threatening communications offence.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_334

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, which Departments contributed to the cost of redesigning the GOV.UK logo. \p Ian Murray: The cost of redesigning the GOV.UK brand was drawn from the Cabinet Office and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

The refreshed GOV.UK brand is much more than just a logo. It is a comprehensive system of guidance, assets and components that are being used across the whole GOV.UK product suite, including the new GOV.UK App, to ensure a modern, coherent and accessible online user experience, as set out in the Blueprint for Modern Digital Government.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_335

Mr Joshua Reynolds:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that people can effectively exercise their legal right to object to the use of their personal data for direct marketing. \p Ian Murray: The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published information on the right to object to the processing of personal for the purpose of direct marketing here: Right to object | ICO.

Anyone concerned about the handling of their personal data by any organisation has the right to complain to the ICO. The ICO has a range of tools to tackle the unlawful processing of personal data, including powers to issue substantial monetary penalties for serious breaches of the data protection legislation. Information about the ICO’s enforcement action can be found at: https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_336

Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many full time equivalent staff there were at each grade (a) in the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation at the end of the 2022-23 financial year, (b) in the Responsible Technology Adoption Unit at the end of the 2023-24 financial year, (c) in the Government Digital Service in functions equivalent to those of the Responsible Technology Adoption Unit, at the most recent date for which data is available and (d) elsewhere in her Department in functions equivalent to those of the Responsible Technology Adoption Unit, at the most recent date for which data is available. \p Ian Murray:
wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_337
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_337

Sir Mark Hendrick:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to introduce a mandatory ID submission for people creating online accounts on anonymous websites. \p Ian Murray: The Government has no plans to mandate the new digital ID for creating online accounts on anonymous websites. We will be consulting on other ways people might want to use this ID by the end of the year, such as when verifying their age for accessing certain websites - but there are no plans to make that mandatory.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_338

Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department is considering requiring mobile network operators to provide indoor coverage data alongside outdoor coverage maps to ensure that service availability more accurately reflects the experience of rural communities. \p Kanishka Narayan: Each of the main UK mobile network operators already provide indoor coverage data in their mobile coverage checkers which are available on their public facing websites.

In addition, Ofcom launched their improved mobile coverage checker, ‘Map Your Mobile, on 26 June 2025, which now better reflects people’s lived experience of mobile connectivity, both indoors and outdoors.

Indoor aggregated coverage figures for 4G connectivity are also provided in the Connected Nations data releases, published by Ofcom twice a year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_339

Josh Fenton-Glynn:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support innovation in novel diagnostic technologies through the Life Sciences Sector Plan, published on 16 July 2025. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Life Sciences Sector Plan focuses on enabling world-class R&D, making the UK an outstanding place to start, scale and invest in life sciences, and driving healthcare innovation and reform.

To ensure the NHS is equipped to adopt innovation at pace and scale, we must futureproof our regulatory landscape, streamline procurement and accelerate adoption and spread.

Targeted policies will drive this agenda forward, including the Regional Health Innovation Zones, which will be empowered to experiment, test and generate evidence on implementing innovation. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) will accelerate the transition from ideation to commercialisation for novel diagnostic products and provide wraparound support to connect innovators to testbeds, regulators, and procurement processes. We will also further expand our significant investments in UK health data and genomics capabilities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_340

Josh Fenton-Glynn:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support research and development projects using novel diagnostic technologies. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Life Sciences Sector Plan commits to enabling world class research & development (R&D) within the UK, with specific actions to support Medtech and Biotech companies including those focused on diagnostics. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) will deliver on this in parallel, accelerating the transition from ideation to commercialisation for novel diagnostic productions and providing wraparound support that will connect innovators to testbeds, regulators, and procurement processes. We will also further expand our significant investments in UK health data and genomics capabilities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_341

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) phones, (b) laptops and (c) other electronic devices have been lost by staff in his Department between (i) 5 July 2024 and 4th July 2025 and (ii) since 5th July 2025. \p Jake Richards: Between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025, 807 devices were reported as lost or stolen, totalling 0.47% of the estate. Since 5 July 2025, 219 devices (0.13% of the estate) have been reported as lost or stolen.

Strong safeguards are in place to protect Ministry of Justice data and we continually review our processes.