Written questions by Niblett.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on support for female-led spin-out tech start-ups at UK Universities.

Innovate UK are currently running an all-women cohort of their Innovation to commercialisation of university research (ICURe) programme, which will identify and support women researchers to explore commercialisation pathways that can lead to spinouts.Supporting female tech founders and spin-out companies from our universities are important issues that I and colleagues across government are working on.I am pleased that over time there are more female-led spin-outs, with 32% of spin-outs in 2022 having a female founder, up from 25% in 2017. However, with 68% still having all-male founders, there is still room for improvement.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has plans to (a) identify and (b) support female-led spin-out tech start-ups in UK Universities.

Innovate UK are currently running an all-women cohort of their Innovation to commercialisation of university research (ICURe) programme, which will identify and support women researchers to explore commercialisation pathways that can lead to spinouts.Supporting female tech founders and spin-out companies from our universities are important issues that I and colleagues across government are working on.I am pleased that over time there are more female-led spin-outs, with 32% of spin-outs in 2022 having a female founder, up from 25% in 2017. However, with 68% still having all-male founders, there is still room for improvement.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of supporting Ukraine through the use of joint (a) technology, (b) funding and (c) research initiatives.

The Government recognises the key role that science, technology, and innovation will play in Ukraine’s recovery, reconstruction and future economy. The department fosters collaboration between researchers and innovators in both countries to our mutual benefit, working closely with other departments, such as Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Department for Business and Trade. For example, providing financial support to the UK-Ukraine Techbridge and supporting Ukrainian researchers through the Researchers at Risk Programme. We are continuing to work with partners to identify areas for future collaboration and support.

Innovation and Technology, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effectiveness of (a) artificial intelligence and (b) other digital innovation for tackling violence against women and girls.

Innovative technology solutions are key to improving online safety outcomes and delivering the government’s commitment to halving violence against women and girls in a decade. The Online Safety Act and Ofcom’s codes of practice are designed to keep pace with emerging technologies, with Ofcom continuing to research, review and, if necessary, iterate their codes of practice to adapt to technological developments.On 20th November the government published a draft Statement of Strategic Priorities for online safety. This sets out five priorities, including the expectation that services are safe by design to improve the safety of all users and tackle violence against women and girls, as well as the importance of innovation in online safety technologies.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help improve phone signal in (a) South Derbyshire constituency and (b) rural areas.

Although I am aware that official reports of mobile coverage often vary substantially from people’s experience on the ground, Ofcom reports that 95% of the pre-boundary change South Derbyshire constituency area has 4G geographic coverage from all four mobile operators, and that basic (non-standalone) 5G is available from at least one mobile operator outside 93% of premises.This Government wants all areas of the UK to benefit from reliable and good quality mobile coverage. Our ambition is for all populated areas, including rural areas, to have higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030, and to increase 4G coverage to 95% of the UK landmass by the end of 2025 through the Shared Rural Network programme. We are committed to ensuring we have the right policy and regulatory framework to support investment and competition.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential use of Artificial Intelligence in the health sector to improve patient outcomes.

DSIT is working closely with Departments, including DHSC, to support better adoption of AI. For example, through the £21m AI Diagnostics fund, DHSC is supporting the deployment of technologies in high-demand areas such as chest X-Ray and chest CT scans to enable faster diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer in over half of acute trusts in England.At the recent International Investment Summit, over £24 billion of investment was pledged to harness the opportunity AI offers. DSIT will continue working closely with Cabinet colleagues to ensure AI is safely deployed to deliver service enhancements, earlier diagnostics and improved patient outcomes.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help ensure benefits of technological development are felt by all demographics.

Digital inclusion is a priority for Government. It means ensuring everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to engage in our modern digital society, whatever their circumstances. I know that digital exclusion disproportionately impacts certain demographics, including older people, those with disabilities and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, creating new inequalities and exacerbating existing ones. As we develop our approach on tackling this issue we will be working closely with the third and private sector and local authorities to ensure interventions are targeted to individual needs.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on support for the digitisation of the NHS.

DSIT has pledged to create a National Data Library bringing together existing research programmes to help deliver data-driven public services, including transforming the NHS.The Department for Health supports NHS digitisation by:Empowering patients through improvements to the NHS appSpeeding up the implementation of the NHS Federated Data Platform DSIT investment in the Data for R&D Programme helps ensure secure access to UK health data for research and development through a network of Secure Data Environments. UKRI has invested over £1billion in AI research. DSIT will continue to ensure safe deployment of AI to deliver service enhancements.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to increase investment in women-led start up technology businesses.

This Government is committed to strengthening diversity in the tech sector, including supporting female-led start-ups, and has made breaking down barriers to opportunity one of our five national missions.Programmes like DSIT’s £12m Digital Growth Grant and Innovate UK’s Women in Innovation Awards are supporting female-led businesses through grants and wider business support.In September, the Chancellor announced Government support for the Invest in Women Taskforce. The Taskforce aims to establish a funding pool of more than £250 million for female-founded businesses through private capital, making it one of the world’s largest investment funding pools aimed solely at female founders.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to widen access to digital skills training.

Digital skills are a priority for the Government’s missions to kickstart economic growth and break down barriers to opportunity. We are working across government departments to widen access to digital skills training as part of our wider approach to digital inclusion. We are also engaging with key industry partners through the Digital Skills Council to ensure the digital skills system is joined up and comprehensive, and that it meets the needs of both employers and individuals, across the UK.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on artificial intelligence and its role in economic growth.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers great economic potential for the whole of the UK.The UK’s AI Sector was valued at £72.3bn in 2024 - larger than any country in Europe. Forecasts suggest it could eventually be worth over £800 billion by 2035.The AI Opportunities Action Plan will outline recommendations for Government, to harness AI's potential, including boosting economic growth, productivity, and job quality through widespread AI adoption.DSIT's Secretary of State collaborates closely with cabinet colleagues on AI-related matters.

Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing funding for digital connectivity in rural areas.

As outlined in the Autumn Budget, we are continuing to drive progress in improving broadband and mobile coverage across the country, including in rural areas, confirming over £500 million of funding for next year (in 2025‑26).We are committed to Project Gigabit and its goal of achieving nationwide gigabit coverage by 2030. Through the Shared Rural Network, we will also improve 4G coverage to at least 95% of the UK by the end of 2025.The government is continuing to consider alternative ways to improve connectivity for those not due to be covered by existing government programmes or commercial activity.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help support female-led tech start-ups.

This Government is committed to strengthening diversity in the tech sector, including supporting female-led start-ups, and has made breaking down barriers to opportunity one of our five national missions.Programmes like DSIT’s £12m Digital Growth Grant and Innovate UK’s Women in Innovation Awards are supporting female-led businesses through grants and wider business support.In September, the Chancellor announced Government support for the Invest in Women Taskforce. The Taskforce aims to establish a funding pool of more than £250 million for female-founded businesses through private capital, making it one of the world’s largest investment funding pools aimed solely at female founders.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help improve digital connectivity in rural areas.

The Government is committed to the rollout of fast, reliable broadband to all parts of the UK. Through Project Gigabit, there are 36 contracts in place, set to connect over 1 million homes and businesses that would otherwise miss out, with more contracts to be awarded in the coming months.We are also working with the UK’s four mobile network operators to deliver the Shared Rural Network, improving 4G mobile broadband connectivity for people living, working and visiting the UK’s rural areas.