Written questions by Huq.

Innovation and Technology, what progress her Department has made in delivering the TechFirst programme; and what discussions her Department has had with organisations in Ealing Central and Acton constituency on supporting TechFirst.

TechFirst has recently launched its expanded undergraduate scholarships programme, which will find and support promising young talent from across the country. The Department plans to shortly launch new programmes that support more home students access Master’s scholarships and PhD top-ups in digital and tech.TechFirst supports local partnerships between industry, academia and third sector and will recruit regional partners to maximise impact – including a London partner. We encourage organisations based in Ealing Central and Acton to apply, as well as commit to regular opportunities for stakeholders, such as those from Ealing Central and Acton constituency, to engage and support TechFirst’s objectives.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent the public provision of personally identifiable information online.

All organisations in the UK that process personal data must comply with the requirements of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA).The legislation sets out a series of principles with which organisations must comply. These include the need to process personal data lawfully, fairly, transparently and securely, unless certain limited exemptions apply. The legislation also gives people rights in relation to their personal data, such as the right to seek access to it, object to its processing or seek its erasure.The legislation does not prevent individuals posting personal data online if it is done for domestic purposes, such as messaging friends, or sharing photos with their social networks, but the platforms that host the data will be subject to the legislation.If individuals are concerned that organisations are processing their personal data unlawfully, they can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office which is responsible for regulating the legislation.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing introducing individual (a) licencing and (b) partnerships for AI companies.

The Government’s consultation on AI and Copyright sets out its goal of strengthening right holders’ control of their material and ability to be renumerated for its use through licensing. This would help deliver a balanced copyright framework for AI, alongside increased transparency and enhanced access to material for AI training.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to support the rollout of full-fibre broadband.

The Government is committed to the rollout of fast, reliable broadband to all parts of the UK. As of February 2024, over 1 million premises had been upgraded to gigabit-capable broadband through government-funded programmes. In total, 36 Project Gigabit contracts have now been signed, to connect over 1 million more homes and businesses, with more contracts to be awarded in the coming months.