Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to page 34 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published on 24 June 2025, what recent progress she has made on negotiating a new science and technology partnership with the US.

During President Donald Trump’s State Visit in September 2025, the Government announced a landmark Technology Prosperity Deal (TPD), in the form of an MoU, which commits the UK and US to collaborate in areas such as AI, nuclear energy and quantum technologies. This partnership will build our capabilities to solve some of the greatest challenges we face today, driving investment and expertise between our leading science and growth hubs, delivering cheap, reliable energy and creating new high skilled jobs.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025, what progress she has made on driving the (a) development and (b) adoption of quantum computers in the UK.

The UK’s National Quantum Computing Mission aims to build a scalable quantum computer within ten years. As part of the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy Government has committed to invest £670 million into the development of quantum computing. Details of key milestones and funding programmes under this investment will be published in due course.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025, what progress she has made on establishing a clear framework to (a) value and (b) licence public sector data assets.

As the Government outlined in the UK Industrial Strategy, there are significant benefits from the financial, economic, and societal value of the different types of data it holds, and work is ongoing to understand how best to assess that.DSIT is working across departments to fulfil the commitment in the Industrial Strategy by April 2026.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the importance of developing transformative AI capability as a domain of strategic competition.

AI capabilities are developing at an extraordinary pace. AI represents an opportunity to significantly improve the quality of life for ordinary people through economic growth, public service delivery, and scientific discovery. AI can nonetheless exacerbate existing risks and introduce novel risks.The Government continuously assesses the development of AI and its strategic implications, including through the work of the AI Security Institute which reports directly to me. AISI has developed world leading technical expertise which informs the Government’s understanding of AI and our strategy to seize its opportunities and address its risks.This Government is realising the benefits of AI through delivery of the AI Opportunities Action Plan. In an AI-enabled world, it matters who influences and builds the models, data and AI infrastructure that are increasingly present in our lives. This is why as part of the Action Plan we have established a Sovereign AI Unit with up to £500m in funding to ensure we have world-leading companies operating in critical AI domains.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the UK’s level of sovereign compute capacity.

The UK is scaling sovereign compute to protect national interests and unlock growth.In July, DSIT published the Compute Roadmap that sets out how we will significantly bolster compute capacity by 2030. This builds on our commitment during the Spending Review to fund over £1bn to expand the AI Research Resource at least twentyfold by 2030, and up to £750 million for a new national supercomputer in Edinburgh.

Innovation and Technology, what research programmes the Advanced Research and Invention Agency is conducting in Antarctica.

As part of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency’s (ARIA) ‘Scoping Our Planet’ Opportunity Space, ARIA is funding two research projects in Antarctica.The first project aims to assess the role of ocean mixing on Antarctic ice melt and sea level rise. The second project seeks to better understand how glacial meltwater is exported from the Antarctic glacial margins to the open ocean.More information on ARIA’s funded projects can be found on their website.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2025 to Question 75352 on Quantum Technology, where the funding for the adoption of quantum computers is being spent.

As part of the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy the Government is allocating £670 million to advance our quantum computing mission, which includes 10-year investment for the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC), to drive the adoption of quantum computing.Starting next year, funding will be available to advance a range of activities including building technical capabilities and improving access to quantum computing services.The 10-year funding for the NQCC will support for their flagship work on adoption, which enables applications discovery, supports skills development, and provides opportunities for networking.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing legislation to enable a phase out of animal testing in medical research over the next decade.

The legal framework in the UK already requires that animals are only ever used in science where there are no validated alternatives available.The Government is committed to supporting alternatives to animals in science and will shortly publish a strategy to support their adoption.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to page 12 of the National Security Strategy 2025, CP 1338, published on 24 June 2025, what recent progress he has made on building the national security agenda for (a) AI and (b) other frontier technologies.

I refer the hon. Member for Huntingdon to the answer of 15th September 2025 to Questions 72559 and 72560. (Q. National Security: Digital Technology)DSIT is supporting the implementation of the National Security Strategy by identifying, nurturing, and protecting the UK’s sovereign strengths in science, technology, and innovation, and by aligning objectives and metrics to achieve measurable results.The Government's response to the AI Opportunities Action Plan sets out a comprehensive programme of work to build national capacity and accelerate adoption. This includes our commitment to 20x public compute, establishing the sovereign AI unit backed by up to £500 million, and our investment into cutting edge research via the AI security institute. We have also committed to publishing an AI for Science strategy.DSIT has also committed to work with the Ministry of Defence to pull through innovative capabilities to mission at speed and foster a thriving and world-leading UK defence technology sector through collaboration in multiple areas e.g. on the creation of UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) and closer working on National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF) investment programmes.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to page 46 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, what progress she has made on strengthening the UK’s asymmetric position in sovereign AI capability.

As stated in the National Security Strategy 2025, the Government is delivering on its ambition for the UK to become world-leading in priority areas where we have a strategic edge, such as high-impact sectors like defence, healthcare, and computing. Through the £500 million-backed Sovereign AI Unit, we will combine equity investment with other levers to back British businesses to become national champions in critical domains. In addition, the UK is scaling sovereign compute to protect national interests and unlock growth. In July, DSIT published the Compute Roadmap that sets out how we will significantly bolster compute capacity by 2030. This builds on our commitment during the Spending Review to fund over £1bn to expand the AI Research Resource at least twentyfold by 2030, and up to £750 million for a new national supercomputer in Edinburgh.

Innovation and Technology, what progress she has made in establishing an AI governance framework.

AI is a general-purpose technology with a wide range of applications, which is why we believe that most AI systems should be regulated at the point of use by existing regulators. A range of rules already apply to AI systems, including data protection, competition, equality legislation and other sectoral regulation. The government is working with regulators to support them on their AI capability needs.The most advanced systems pose distinct opportunities and risks. We are committed to ensuring the UK is prepared for the changes AI will bring.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the pledge to make the UK one of the world’s top three life sciences economies on phasing out animal testing in Huntingdon constituency.

The Government is committed to supporting alternatives to animals in science and will publish a strategy to support their development, validation and adoption, which will consider economic impacts including benefits.Building on the UK’s strengths as home to world leading research and pharmaceutical businesses, the strategy will support the UK to capitalise on the global non-animal technologies market, estimated to be worth $29.4 billion by 2030, and on the scientific and economic advantages of more human-relevant methods for product development and testing.No specific assessment on Huntingdon has been done.

Innovation and Technology, what her responsibilities are as electromagnetic spectrum policy lead.

The Secretary of State holds overall responsibility for DSIT, the lead department for spectrum policy. Ofcom manages spectrum under two Acts of Parliament (the Communications Act 2003 and the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006).The Secretary of State directs Ofcom on matters of strategic importance to the Government and provides policy steers through levers including the Statement of Strategic Priorities (SSP) for telecommunications and spectrum, which Ofcom must have regard for when exercising its functions.Ofcom also represents the UK at international negotiations on spectrum use, including the World Radio Conference (WRC), and the UK’s positions are informed by government through DSIT.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to page 89 of the Strategic Defence Review, updated on 8 July 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill on cyber defences.

The Strategic Defence Review sets out the high-level priorities for defence across government and highlights that greater attention must be given to the space and cyber and electromagnetic domain. This includes a more proactive posture to harden critical defence functions against cyber attacks.The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will benefit defence and the priorities of the Strategic Defence Review by strengthening UK’s overall cyber defence by ensuring that the essential and digital services (including some Critical National Infrastructure) on which the UK public, businesses and Government rely, including the Ministry of Defence, are more resilient and secure. The Bill will be introduced when Parliamentary time allows.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the guidance entitled Digital ID scheme: explainer, published on 26 September 2025, when she plans to publish the consultation on digital IDs.

The Government will launch a public consultation on the new digital ID by the end of the year, setting out the proposed approach in more detail and seeking views on this. This will include the proposed approach to estimating and monitoring the costs involved and savings - while accounting for the outcomes of the consultation.The Government will work closely with expert stakeholders to make the programme as effective, secure and inclusive as possible, including taking insights from previous IT projects where appropriate. We will also take best practice from other countries.Inclusivity is central to our thinking as we design this. The Government will deliver a comprehensive inclusion programme to ensure everyone eligible is able to access the new digital ID. This will include targeted support for those who may struggle to access or engage with digital services.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to page 119 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, what assessment he has made of the level of UK resilience to digital service loss.

The Government recognises the importance of resilient digital infrastructure to national security and public services. The Department has not made an overall assessment of the level of UK resilience to digital service loss. However, the Department reviews the most significant risks to the security and resilience of UK digital infrastructure and makes a detailed assessment of their likelihood and impact through the National Security Risk Assessment, including the impact on human welfare, public behaviour, essential services, the economy, the environment, security and international order. A summary of these risks is published in the National Risk Register.Communications providers are legally required to take appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure their networks are secure and resilient.  Ofcom monitors compliance and enforces standards under the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021.  Providers designated as Operators of Essential Services under the Network and Information Systems Regulations 2018 must also take appropriate steps to secure their networks and minimise the impact of incidents. The forthcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will further strengthen the UK’s cyber defences and build the resilience of our digital services. In addition, DSIT also works in partnership with communications providers to promote resilience across the sector and respond jointly to emergencies.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the guidance entitled Digital ID scheme: explainer, published on 26 September 2025, from which database will the digital ID validate (a) identity, (b) age, (c) residency and (d) a photo.

The Government has announced plans for a new national digital identity credential to be available to UK citizens and legal residents aged 16 and over. This will make it easier for people to securely access the services they are entitled to, where they want to, while also helping to prevent illegal working and deter illegal migration. Employers will be required to conduct digital right to work checks using the new digital ID by the end of this parliament.We recognise the importance of both cybersecurity and privacy. We will consult and engage on the practical operation of the scheme, and the data structures underpinning it, as it is developed. The data for the digital ID scheme will be federated, as doing so is good practice for things like this. That means most data will stay where it is already safely stored, such as in HM Passport Office or other government departments, and only joined up if and when needed.Following the Machinery of Government changes of 23/10/2025 policy responsibility now sits with the Cabinet Office.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025, what his target date is for the rollout of 6G networks in the UK.

The development of 6G technology is still in its early stages, and rollout timelines depend on the progress of the industry-led standardisation process. We expect that 6G technology will not be deployed anywhere globally until the early 2030s. Rollout of 6G networks in the UK will depend on commercial decisions of mobile network operators. The Government is committed to working with operators and others to support the health of the sector and the success of the ongoing rollout of 5G, so that the UK will be in a strong position for the transition to the next generation of mobile communications.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of engineering biology as a domain of strategic competition on the economy.

The Modern Industrial Strategy is founded on supporting high-growth sectors across the UK’s strengths. As part of developing the Digital and Technologies Sector Plan Government assessed a range of technologies to assess those of highest growth to be included as frontier technologies. Engineering biology was selected as a frontier technology as part of this assessment process, backed by £380 million of investment in the Sector Plan.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025, what progress he has made on making the UK the third most important life sciences economy globally by 2030.

Since publishing the Life Sciences Sector Plan in July, we have moved rapidly into delivery. The Plan sets out 33 concrete commitments, each with clear metrics, milestones and a named Senior Responsible Officer to drive accountability. Robust assurance mechanisms are being established to track the delivery of the Plan, including progress reporting into the Life Sciences Delivery Board every four months, and a stakeholder engagement plan to ensure sector views on delivery are captured. Delivery is already underway – with recruitment going live for the Chair and CEO of the Health Data Research Service with the Wellcome Trust, and the recent launch of both Europe's first Biofoundry for mRNA manufacturing and the £85m Obesity Pathway Innovation Programme with Eli Lilly – all part of building the UK into Europe’s leading life sciences economy by 2030.