Written questions by Wood.

Innovation and Technology, whether she has issued guidance on whether firms in administration are subject to Subject Access Requests.

All organisations in the UK that act as data controllers are required to comply with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, including data subject rights such as the right of access.When a firm enters administration, it continues to trade and remains in existence, although it is financially distressed and technically insolvent. Where it continues to act as a data controller, it remains subject to subject access requests in accordance with data protection law.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Collection entitled Areas of Research interest of June 2017, whether there are plans to update the Government Office for Science's area of research interests.

The Government Office for Science does not publish its own Areas of Research Interests (ARIs). It instead provides advice and input to Departments, who are each responsible for developing and updating their own ARI. The latest version of each Department’s ARI is then made available on the gov.uk collection page.

Innovation and Technology, whether she has issued guidance to departments on publishing regular lists of Areas of Research Interest.

The Government Office for Science manages the guidance for departments on the development, publication and use of Areas of Research Interest (ARIs). The guidance sets out best practice for publishing ARIs and is available on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/writing-and-using-areas-of-research-interest/writing-and-using-areas-of-research-interest.

Innovation and Technology, what estimate she has made of central government efficiency savings to be made from AI over the Spending Review period.

The Government is already investing heavily in AI to drive efficiency and productivity. In the recent Spending Review, we committed £1.2 billion of funding in digital and AI across public services.Work undertaken by the Office for Value for Money at SR25 identified total annual efficiency gains of almost £14bn by 2028-29, of which the Government expects digital to contribute a substantial portion of this. Some individual departments have already set efficiency targets covering the Spending Review period. The Home Office has outlined efficiency gains of £533 million per year by 2028-29, partly driven through increased automation, whilst the Ministry of Justice targets £356 million per year by the same period through AI adoption and the use of technology for offender management in the community.The Government Digital Service (GDS) will work with HM Treasury to measure central government departments’ contributions to this by tracking the digital efficiencies they’ve identified in their delivery plans by the end of the spending review period. GDS will also draw on productivity and efficiency information from across the public sector to understand how government is driving wider efficiency.

Innovation and Technology, whether the deadline for applications for the appointment of the Chair of Ofcom was set for either (a) 18 December 2025 or (b) 5 January 2026.

The advert for applications was launched on 17 November 2025, with a deadline of 18 December 2025. On 17 December, the application deadline was extended until 5 January 2026, and the advert on gov.uk was amended to reflect this change.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 32640 on Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Buildings, whether civil servants in 22 Whitehall are required to book a specific desk, or book an unspecified space on a particular floor.

Civil Servants in 22 Whitehall book an unspecified space on a specific floor.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2025, to Question 90732, on DSIT: Remote Working, whether the 40% office attendance policy for departmental staff is a target of (a) those staff being in their assigned office for 40% of the working week or (b) 40% of the desks in that office being occupied over the working week.

The 40% office attendance policy for departmental staff referred to in the answer I gave the Hon. Member on 28 November 2025 to Question 90732, is for staff being in their assigned office for 40% of the working week.The Department’s office attendance (Hybrid Working) policy states that as the norm, employees are expected to spend, when calculated over a 4-week period, 40-60% of their working hours in the office. Time spent training at a different location, on visits to off-site or other work locations, where there is an official reason to attend that location, will count in the same way as time spent in a staff member’s normal office. The remaining time can either be spent working in the office, working from home in the UK, or a combination of the two.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 18 November 2025 to Question 88696, if he will publish he business case for the rainbow pins.

Pursuant to the answer of 18 November 2025 we are not be publishing the business case for rainbow pins. To confirm the business case was reviewed in line with Government Guidance, declined, and no public money was spent.

Innovation and Technology, further to the Cabinet Office publication, Monthly Average HQ Building Occupancy (Quarter 2: July to September 2025), published on 1 December 2025, what were the numeric figures for the (a) Monthly total number of employees in the HQ building and (b) monthly capacity of the HQ building in each of those months for 22 Whitehall.

The numeric figures for July to September 2025 are: Jul 2025Aug 2025Sep 2025(a) Monthly total number of employees in the HQ building9953940311,302(b) Monthly capacity of the HQ building in each of those months for 22 Whitehall997589259350The figures include the adjoining building 26 Whitehall, which was gradually opened and occupied in phases across July, August and September. From October onwards, capacity figures include 26 Whitehall. Monthly totals also include colleagues using meeting rooms and other shared building facilities, which are not included in capacity figures.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2025 to Question 88700 on Civil Service: Equality, whether the civil servants attended the humanists convention using staff time or annual leave.

Pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2025 the Civil Servant who attended the Humanist Convention did so in working time.

Innovation and Technology, how much his Department has spent in the last 12 months on X premium, and on which tier.

No expenditure has been made by Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on X premium.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2025 to Question 98126, on DSIT: Public Appointments, whether any of the Direct Ministerial Appointments made a declaration of political activity when appointed.

All Direct Ministerial appointees must complete a declaration of interest form before their appointment can be finalised. If appointees declare any political activity, the detail is reviewed, assessed for risk and appropriate mitigations implemented where necessary.

Innovation and Technology pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2025 to Question 88695, on Government Departments: Mobile Phones, whether there is any guidance given to public bodies on creating new apps.

The Service Manual sets out guidance for public servants on designing and delivering digital services, including making sure services work well with mobile technology, technology use more broadly, and understanding users before designing around their needs. The guidance makes clear that native mobile apps should only be considered when there are clear and evidenced needs that a responsive website cannot meet. It also states that if any users can not access the required features then a web based alternative should also be available.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 18 November 2025, to Question 88707, on Research: Finance, what estimate he has made of the (a) monetary and (b) regulatory cost of the inclusion of equality, diversity and inclusion targets in publicly funded research.

The Government does not hold an estimate of any monetary or regulatory cost because it does not set equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) targets in publicly funded research. EDI considerations form part of existing research funding assurance and governance processes, and no additional reporting burdens or dedicated compliance mechanisms have been introduced beyond those already in place. Rather than mandating specific EDI targets, the Government expects research organisations to foster fair and inclusive environments that support excellence, in line with established funding terms and conditions.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2025 to Question 88704 on UK Space Agency, whether he plans to reduce the total headcount as a result of the merger of the UK Space Agency into the department.

The merger of UKSA into DSIT will deliver efficiencies for how the combined directorate will deliver on government priorities. Designing a more efficient organisation will reduce running costs and remove duplication ensuring even more of the funding allocated to civil space can reach the sector while also protecting staff in both organisations where possible. There are currently no planned redundancies.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 23 September 2025, to Question 70484, on Government Departments: Training, what role the Director General for Digital Centre Design played in (a) the design and specification of Project 7114, (b) recommending the use of Bloom Procurement Services Ltd as the route to market, and (c) compiling or approving the list of suppliers directly nominated to bid for the contract through Bloom.

The interim Director General for Digital Centre Design, now interim Director General for Digital Transformation, has had no involvement in the design and specification of Project 7114 or in any procurement decisions related to the Cabinet Office Test Learn and Grow Programme.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 18 November 2025, to Question 88698, on DSIT: Disinformation, what specific facility or service does the contract with (a) Total Global Strategy Network and (b) Faculty Science Limit provide.

The Global Strategy Network provides mis‑ and disinformation monitoring analysis narratives from publicly available online information concerning public safety or national security risks to the UK. Faculty Science provides software development for the Counter‑Disinformation Data Platform (CDDP).

Innovation and Technology, whether this Department uses the Global Disinformation Index service.

DSIT does not use Global Disinformation Index service

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2025 to Question 88708 on Electronic Government, on what date was the current internal Data Protection Impact Assessment completed.

A Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) was completed for GOV.UK One Login in 2023. This was reviewed and updated in 2025 and is planned for publication this year.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland regarding the Technology Prosperity Deal, published on 18 September 2025, what is the current legal status of the US-UK tech prosperity deal.

The US-UK Technology Prosperity Deal was signed as a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which does not constitute or create any legally binding obligations. The MoU represents a political and policy-level understanding between the two governments.