Written questions by Maguire.

Innovation and Technology, what her Department's planned timetable is for updating (a) milestones, (b) KPIs and (c) delivery plans regarding the Replacing Animals in Science strategy; and whether progress will be published.

Awaiting answer.

Innovation and Technology, how her Department plans to track progress on phasing out animal testing through the Replacing Animals in Science strategy.

Awaiting answer.

Innovation and Technology, what plans her Department has to secure long-term investment for (a) a UK Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods, (b) the pre-clinical translational models hub and (d) the Replacing Animals in Science strategy’s other measures.

Awaiting answer.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of implementing the recommendations from Ofcom's consultation on a new crisis measure under the Online Safety Act, including the expectation on social media platforms to conduct post-crisis analyses to improve transparency.

The Online Safety Act already places significant transparency duties on regulated services. We welcome Ofcom’s proposal to build on this with post-crisis analyses, and strengthen platforms’ coordinated approach during crisis periods.We look forward to receiving Ofcom’s final decision in June 2026. Ofcom is responsible for determining and implementing the final approach and, subject to the parliamentary process, we expect any new measures to come into effect in early autumn.In Protecting What Matters, the government’s plan to improve social cohesion, we have further committed to reviewing the Act’s crisis powers to ensure they are fit for purpose.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of increasing Ofcom's powers under the Online Safety Act to adequately tackle disinformation and misinformation.

The Online Safety Act provides a strong, proportionate framework for tackling online mis/disinformation. Ofcom has robust powers to hold companies to account if they fail to meet their duties in the act, including significant fines and, in the most serious cases, business disruption measures.Our immediate focus is implementing the Act quickly and effectively so Ofcom can fully use the powers already provided. However, I have been clear that if gaps in the Act remain, I will not hesitate to go further.

Innovation and Technology, what steps the Defending Democracy Taskforce is taking to tackle disinformation and misinformation online.

Awaiting answer.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of misinformation and disinformation online on local communities.

While social media can play an important role in society, it is unacceptable that people use it to threaten our communities. Government engages with local authorities to monitor issues affecting cohesion, including misinformation and disinformation. Under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom has broad information-gathering powers and has consulted on a new crisis measure which includes an expectation on platforms to conduct post-crisis analyses to improve transparency. In Protecting What Matters – the government’s plan to improve social cohesion – we further committed to reviewing the Online Safety Act’s crisis powers to ensure they are fit for purpose and adequately tackling issues including mis- and disinformation.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made on the merits of introducing legislation which would mandate social media platforms to share data from times of public disorder crises.

While social media can play an important role in society, it is unacceptable that people use it to threaten our communities. Government engages with local authorities to monitor issues affecting cohesion, including misinformation and disinformation. Under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom has broad information-gathering powers and has consulted on a new crisis measure which includes an expectation on platforms to conduct post-crisis analyses to improve transparency. In Protecting What Matters – the government’s plan to improve social cohesion – we further committed to reviewing the Online Safety Act’s crisis powers to ensure they are fit for purpose and adequately tackling issues including mis- and disinformation.

Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to tackle the potential impact of Bot Farms on online misinformation.

The Online Safety Act addresses illegal mis- and disinformation regardless of whether it is generated or amplified by AI or automated accounts. In-scope services are required to fulfil their obligations under the Act and Ofcom has strong enforcement powers where they fail to comply. We are taking action across government to ensure a coherent, effective response to misinformation online and its impact on the UK, including through the Defending Democracy Taskforce which coordinates a whole-of-government response to threats to our democratic processes.

Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to support research into astronomy and space science.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has committed a record £58.5 billion investment in R&D over the next 4 years. This includes £38.6 billion allocated to UKRI.The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) within UKRI is maintaining its budget across this period and is currently working with the sector to model different spending scenarios for its portfolio in particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics (PPAN). The impacts of different modelled scenarios across the broad and diverse range of STFC-funded facilities and programmes will be considered alongside feedback from the sector when taking final decisions.The UK will also continue to invest in collaborative space science through the UK Space Agency, which has been allocated £2.8 billion over the next 4 years.DSIT has asked UKRI to ensure that its specific investment decisions are informed by meaningful consultation with the scientific research community and a robust assessment of potential consequences for the UK’s scientific capability, research institutions and international standing.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with the Science and Technology Facilities Council regarding their proposed funding cuts for astronomy and space science.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has committed a record £58.5 billion investment in R&D over the next 4 years. This includes £38.6 billion allocated to UKRI.The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) within UKRI is maintaining its budget across this period and is currently working with the sector to model different spending scenarios for its portfolio in particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics (PPAN). The impacts of different modelled scenarios across the broad and diverse range of STFC-funded facilities and programmes will be considered alongside feedback from the sector when taking final decisions.The UK will also continue to invest in collaborative space science through the UK Space Agency, which has been allocated £2.8 billion over the next 4 years.DSIT has asked UKRI to ensure that its specific investment decisions are informed by meaningful consultation with the scientific research community and a robust assessment of potential consequences for the UK’s scientific capability, research institutions and international standing.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact on research for astronomy and space science of the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s proposed funding cuts of up to 60%.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has committed a record £58.5 billion investment in R&D over the next 4 years. This includes £38.6 billion allocated to UKRI.The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) within UKRI is maintaining its budget across this period and is currently working with the sector to model different spending scenarios for its portfolio in particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics (PPAN). The impacts of different modelled scenarios across the broad and diverse range of STFC-funded facilities and programmes will be considered alongside feedback from the sector when taking final decisions.The UK will also continue to invest in collaborative space science through the UK Space Agency, which has been allocated £2.8 billion over the next 4 years.DSIT has asked UKRI to ensure that its specific investment decisions are informed by meaningful consultation with the scientific research community and a robust assessment of potential consequences for the UK’s scientific capability, research institutions and international standing.

Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to reduce animal testing.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 November 2025 to Question UIN 91769.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that businesses undertaking a transition to digital services, such as BT’s transition to Digital Voice, have considered the potential impact of this action on vulnerable and elderly individuals.

The Government is committed to ensure that any risks arising from the industry-led migration of the analogue Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to digital Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for all customers across the UK.Government secured safeguards for customers through the PSTN Charter in December 2023 and the Non‑Voluntary Migrations Checklist in November 2024. Major communication providers committed to a number of measures to protect customers, including signing data sharing agreements with local authorities to identify telecare customers, timely and repeated communications, a free engineer visit, and a battery back-up solution, if needed.In addition to existing safeguards, any vulnerable customers (including the elderly) can self-identify to receive additional support from their provider as set out in the GOV.UK Supported Journeys Guidance when their landline is upgraded.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that businesses switching to digital services, such as BT’s transition to Digital Voice, communicate these changes appropriately with customers.

The Government is committed to ensure that any risks arising from the industry-led migration of the analogue Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to digital Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for all customers across the UK.Government secured safeguards for customers through the PSTN Charter in December 2023 and the Non‑Voluntary Migrations Checklist in November 2024. Major communication providers committed to a number of measures to protect customers, including signing data sharing agreements with local authorities to identify telecare customers, timely and repeated communications, a free engineer visit, and a battery back-up solution, if needed.In addition to existing safeguards, any vulnerable customers (including the elderly) can self-identify to receive additional support from their provider as set out in the GOV.UK Supported Journeys Guidance when their landline is upgraded.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of non-explicit sexual content and promotional material for adult services on social media platforms; and what steps she is taking to help reduce associated risks, particularly for children and young people.

Under the Online Safety Act, services likely to be accessed by children are required to use highly effective age assurance to prevent children encountering pornography. Ofcom acknowledge in their guidance that suggestive content of a kind that might be expected to feature in an advertisement, may not be pornographic, but still may be inappropriate for children of certain age groups and require protections for them.The Advertising Standards Authority requires the content of adverts to be socially responsible, to ensure vulnerable people, including children and young people, are protected. The UK Non-Broadcast Advertising Code specifies that adverts for age-restricted products are not targeted at children.

Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI) safety mechanisms.

There is considerable debate and uncertainty around Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), but the possibility of its development must be taken seriously. The increasing capabilities of AI may exacerbate existing risks and present new risks, for which the UK need to be prepared.The role of the AI Security Institute (AISI) is to build an evidence base on these risks, so the government is equipped to prepare for them. AISI focuses on emerging AI risks with serious security implications, including the potential for AI to help users develop chemical and biological weapons, and the potential for loss of control presented by autonomous systems.The Government will continue to take a long-term, science-led approach to understand and prepare for emerging risks from AI. This includes preparing for the possibility of very rapid AI progress, which could have transformative impacts on society and national security.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the monetisation and algorithmic amplification of misogynistic and sexually degrading content on social media platforms on young people’s attitudes towards women, relationships and self-worth.

This Government will do everything in our power to keep women and children safe online.Under the Online Safety Act, services are required to protect children from both illegal and harmful content, including violent, abusive or hateful misogynistic content. Services are also required to adjust algorithms for children, so that they do not encourage harmful content, leading to safer feeds.We expect companies to introduce, without delay, the recommended measures in Ofcom’s industry guidance on making platforms safer for women and girls including deprioritising harmful content in recommender algorithms and de‑monetising content which promotes misogynistic abuse and sexual violence.

Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to help prevent discrimination against women in digital spaces.

Making the online environment a safer and fairer place for women and girls is a priority for this government.The Online Safety Act has placed a requirement on tech platforms to proactively tackle the most harmful illegal content, much of which disproportionately affects women and girls, including harassment and intimate image abuse.Ofcom recently published guidance outlining further steps services can take to make their platforms safer for women and girls online. We will be monitoring platforms’ progress closely and working with Ofcom to hold them to account.The government is developing its wider strategy to tackle violence against women and girls and will publish it in due course.

Innovation and Technology, if the Prime Minister will appoint a space minister in the Ministry of Defence to lead cross-government space policy.

My noble friend Baroness Lloyd of Effra is the Minister responsible for leading cross government civil space policy.