Written questions by Burgon.

Innovation and Technology, what the selection process was for the appointment of experts to the academic panel for the digital wellbeing consultation; and what criteria were used to ensure a balance of multi-disciplinary expertise in child psychology, data science, and social media harms.

Professor Russell Viner, former Chief Scientific Advisor to the Department for Education, will chair the academic panel. The government will announce further members once all checks, including security checks, have concluded. Declarations of conflicts of interest will also be published. Officials worked with the Government Office for Science and Department for Education to identify potential academic panel members with relevant expertise to consider the digital safety issues explored in the ‘Growing up in the online world’ consultation, including AI, education, paediatrics, psychology, psychiatry, and social research.

Innovation and Technology, what the selection process was for the appointment of experts to the academic panel for the digital wellbeing consultation; and what criteria were used to ensure a balance of multi-disciplinary expertise in child psychology, data science, and social media harms.

Professor Russell Viner, former Chief Scientific Advisor to the Department for Education, will chair the academic panel. The government will announce further members once all checks, including security checks, have concluded. Declarations of conflicts of interest will also be published. Officials worked with the Government Office for Science and Department for Education to identify potential academic panel members with relevant expertise to consider the digital safety issues explored in the ‘Growing up in the online world’ consultation, including AI, education, paediatrics, psychology, psychiatry, and social research.

Innovation and Technology, if she will publish the names and institutional affiliations of the members of the academic panel appointed to assess (a) the public responses to the 'Growing up in the online world' consultation and (b) the data arising from the government’s 6-week digital wellbeing pilot studies.

Professor Russell Viner, former Chief Scientific Advisor to the Department for Education, will chair the academic panel. The government will announce further members once all checks, including security checks, have concluded. Declarations of conflicts of interest will also be published. Officials worked with the Government Office for Science and Department for Education to identify potential academic panel members with relevant expertise to consider the digital safety issues explored in the ‘Growing up in the online world’ consultation, including AI, education, paediatrics, psychology, psychiatry, and social research.

Innovation and Technology, which (a) departmental officials, (b) external academic partners, and (c) private contractors were responsible for designing the methodology and key performance indicators (KPIs) of the 6-week digital wellbeing pilot studies currently being conducted by the Government.

The pilots were developed by professional analysts within DSIT, with advice from the Government Office for Science. This included a roundtable convened by the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Dame Angela McLean, of academics and Chief Scientific Advisers from FCDO, DfE and College of Policing. Private contractors were not involved in designing the methodology. The pilots are qualitative studies, intended to generate in‑depth insights into young people’s navigation and experience of social media. The research is not designed to be statistically representative, so KPIs are limited to delivery logistics, such as recruitment targets, rather than impact measures.

Innovation and Technology, if he will have discussions with Ofcom on the use of its powers under Schedule 11 of the Online Safety Act 2023 in the context of online forums that share instructional content on methods of suicide.

The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology is carefully considering Ofcom’s categorisation research and advice and will make Regulations as soon as reasonably practicable. Ministers have regular meetings with Ofcom on a range of online safety related subjects. The Secretary of State wrote to Ofcom’s CEO on 10 September requesting an update on the regulator’s approach to monitoring small but risky online services, including how Ofcom will use the full force of enforcement. Ofcom’s CEO responded on 11 September. Both letters are available online: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/small-but-risky-online-services-under-the-online-safety-act-letter-from-dsit-secretary-of-state/6c50a830-4b15-4205-a37c-230c16c4ba07https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/what-we-do/public-correspondence/