Written questions by Maguire.

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 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.

Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking with his international counterparts to encourage sustainable uses of space.

The government works bilaterally and multilaterally with international partners through the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee to shape and uphold standards, norms and best practices that define the in-orbit regime. We champion adoption of the UN Long-Term Sustainability Guidelines and support capacity-building via the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs to protect access to space for future generations.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of satellite debris falling to earth on the environment.

The UK Space Agency has led global research on the potential environmental impact of satellites burning up in Earth’s atmosphere (atmospheric ablation) through a set of short, complementary research studies. Initial outcomes conclude there is an impact of metals on the atmosphere, but further research is needed to fully identify knowledge gaps and provide a solid evidence base for decision-making.The Space Industry Act (2018) requires applicants for launch operator and spaceport licences to provide the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) with an assessment of the effects that launches of spacecraft are expected to have on the environment.The National Space Operations Centre monitors all trackable space objects and provides indicators and warnings of re-entry and projected paths, particularly where objects are expected to have sufficient mass and volume for some or all components to survive to the surface.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with her international counterparts on the regulation of satellites in space.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology leads the UK’s international engagement on the regulation of satellites in space. This includes representation at the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and regular bi-and multi-lateral dialogues with partners at official and ministerial level.Ofcom, the independent telecommunications regulator sponsored by DSIT, represents UK interests at the International Telecommunication Union, which deals with the international regulation of radio frequency spectrum for space activities. FCDO leads on arms control in space through the UN First Committee.Ministers and officials will be discussing the regulation of satellites in space as part of the Department's international engagement over the coming months.

Innovation and Technology, if her Department will issue guidance to businesses to protect against cyber-attacks.

The government has written to Chairs and CEOs of the largest UK companies and asked them to better identify and protect themselves from cyber threats by making cyber a board-level priority by using the Cyber Governance Code, signing up to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Early Warning service, and requiring Cyber Essentials in supply chains. These actions are relevant to all businesses, who can also help protect themselves by using the wide range of free advice, training and tools available on the NCSC website, including the check your cyber security tool and the Cyber Action Toolkit for small businesses.

Innovation and Technology, how many cables his Department has recorded as damaged or suspected of being damaged by Russian ships in (a) the North Sea, (b) the English Channel, (c) the Irish Sea and (d) the North Atlantic in each of the last 24 months.

Accidental cable damage from industrial maritime activity is part of the cable operating ecosystem. There are 65 cables systems connecting to the UK, with 45 of those cables connecting internationally. The large continental shelf and busy maritime sector in the UK mean there are a high number of accidental breaks each year, 12-15 mainly caused by industrial fishing and some from anchor drags or drops, and a small amount by underwater seismic activity. In the UK we have an exemption from permitting for emergency repairs meaning we have the fastest repair time in the world at 5-7 days. The cables provide redundancy for each other as data is diverted along other cables while a cable waits for repair.We are aware Supporting cable repair industry and working with international partners to deter this activity through initiatives such as the Joint Declaration on cooperation to protect energy and telecommunications infrastructure in the North Sea, NATO’s Baltic Sentry and the Joint Expeditionary Forces Nordic Warden.