Written questions by Maguire.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of creating a digital sovereignty strategy.

Awaiting answer.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce disinformation from AI generated deepfakes.

Awaiting answer.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the level of dependency on overseas AI providers.

Awaiting answer.

Innovation and Technology, in what way he plans to ensure that social media companies are held accountable for the design of their platforms.

The Online Safety Act places legal duties on platforms to assess and mitigate risks arising from the design and operation of their services, including how features and functionalities may facilitate harm. Companies must implement proportionate systems and...

Innovation and Technology, in what way he plans to ensure that women and girls are protected from AI harms on social media sites.

Protecting women and girls online, including from AI-enabled harms, is a top priority for this Government as we work to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. The Online Safety Act places clear legal duties on platforms to proactively tackle ...

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure social media platforms are safe by design and are responsible for preventing harm, via the exposure of vulnerable adults and children, to r

On 15 June, the government published a progress statement announcing a ban on social media services from providing their services to under 16s, alongside targeted functionality restrictions on a wider range of online services, including a default on restr...

Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to combat online disinformation.

The Online Safety Act (OSA) addresses mis- and disinformation where it is illegal, such as foreign interference, or harmful to children, for example abusive content which includes mis- and disinformation.Government is taking steps to improve media literac...

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the EU's Digital Services Act and whether she intends to introduce equivalent measures in the UK.

The Government continually assesses our international partners’ approaches to online safety and has engaged with the EU to discuss its Digital Services Act which, like the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA), requires companies to take steps to protect users onl...

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 Rep

The Government has announced £75m of funding to accelerate alternatives and innovation, with new capabilities being developed across the UK. This funding will help bring forward advanced testing methods that can save lives and support a faster, science‑le...

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

A publicly available dashboard of progress against the strategy’s key deliverables and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the delivery of the Replacing Animals in Science Strategy will be published later in 2026. Any work to phase out animal testing mu...

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

A publicly available dashboard of progress against the strategy’s key deliverables and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the delivery of the Replacing Animals in Science Strategy will be published later in 2026. Any work to phase out animal testing mu...

Innovation and Technology, whether the One Login programme is compliant with the National Cyber Security Centre's Cyber Assessment Framework.

Protecting the security of government services and the data and privacy of users is our utmost priority. GOV.UK One Login follows the highest security standards for government and private sector services, including dedicated 24/7 eyes-on monitoring, incid...

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

The Defending Democracy Taskforce coordinates and drives forward a whole-of-Government response to protecting the integrity and security of our democratic processes from a full range of threats.DSIT leads the UK’s policy on disinformation and uses both le...

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 seriou...

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, includ

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 rec...

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 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 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.