Written questions by Bhatti.

With reference to Annex D of FOI2024-00289: Correspondence about the appointment of Emily Middleton, published by his Department on 24 September 2024, if he will publish (a) the letter from Cat Little and (b) accompanying annex on routes into Government.

I am happy to publish the accompanying annex (b), which was a document entitled "CSC Recruitment Principles". This is available online at https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/02a_RECRUITMENT-PRINCIPLES-April-2018-FINAL-.pdfAs this is a letter written in a professional capacity from one senior official to others, I do not intend to publish the full text.

Innovation and Technology, when he will publish a consultation on the potential merits of bringing forward an Artificial Intelligence Bill.

As set out in the King’s Speech, the Government will establish legislation to ensure the safe development of AI models by introducing targeted requirements on companies developing the most powerful AI systems. This legislation will build on the voluntary commitments secured at the Seoul and Bletchley AI Safety Summits and will strengthen the role of the AI Safety Institute. As part of the development of this legislation, the Government will launch a full public consultation shortly, working with industry, AI experts, academics, and civil society to hone our proposals before presenting them to Parliament.

Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to amend the Research Excellence Framework.

The next Research Excellence Framework (REF) is currently being developed by Research England and the three Devolved higher education funding bodies, in collaboration with the higher education sector.Since the funding bodies initial proposals for REF 2029 were issued in June 2023 plans for the REF have been amended in response to feedback from universities and other stakeholders. This development process will continue until final guidance is set in 2026.

Innovation and Technology, how many universities (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have visited since their appointment.

Since taking office in July, we have visited six universities. I have visited Glasgow University, Queens University Belfast and Imperial College London. Members of the ministerial team have made visits to Northumbria University, Imperial College London and businesses partnered with universities such as Birmingham City University.

Innovation and Technology, what areas of discussion have been submitted by parties attending the AI Action Summit in November 2024.

We are looking forward to working with France as they organise the AI Action Summit, taking place on 10 and 11 February 2025. France have outlined there are five tracks for the Summit: Trust in AI, Global Governance, Innovation, Public Interest and Future of Work. Each track has a working group which we are a part of, and we look forward to contributing to the summit across these themes. We will share more details about France’s plans for the summit, including on specific areas of discussion and agenda, as and when they become available.

Whether his Department has had recent discussions with Northumberland County Council on the construction of an artificial intelligence data centre in Cambois.

Officials within my Department work closely with Northumberland County Council to support investment into the region. This includes collaboration to support Blackstone and QTS’ recently confirmed investment into an artificial intelligence data centre in Blyth.

Innovation and Technology, if he will take steps to develop a digital inclusion strategy.

It is a scandal that the previous government did not introduce a digital inclusion strategy for ten years.Digital inclusion is a priority for my department and for government, and work is ongoing to develop our approach to tackling digital exclusion and coordinate across government departments. Digital inclusion means ensuring that everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to participate in a modern digital society, whatever their circumstances.Government will work closely with the third sector, devolved administrations, businesses and local authorities, many of whom have already implemented highly successful programmes, to ensure interventions are collaborative and targeted to individual needs.

Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential contribution of a digital inclusion strategy to (a) stopping the spread of misinformation and (b) increasing public trust in social media.

Digital inclusion is a key priority for the government and it is shocking that the previous government’s out-of-date digital inclusion strategy was published a full decade ago, despite clear evidence that digital exclusion limits economic growth and harms individuals’ chances to study, work and participate fully in society and the modern economy.Alongside the duties the Online Safety Act places on social media platforms to minimise harmful content, including illegal disinformation, we need to enhance media literacy, so that users are more resilient online. Part of having the requisite skills to navigate the online world safely is the ability to engage critically with misleading content.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to support the digital inclusion of (a) elderly, (b) economically disadvantaged and (c) disabled people.

It is a scandal that the previous government did not introduce a digital inclusion strategy for ten years.Digital inclusion is a priority for my department and for government, and work is ongoing to develop our approach to tackling digital exclusion and coordinate across government departments. Digital inclusion means ensuring that everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to participate in a modern digital society, whatever their circumstances.Government will work closely with the third sector, devolved administrations, businesses and local authorities, many of whom have already implemented highly successful programmes, to ensure interventions are collaborative and targeted to individual needs.

Innovation and Technology, if he will ensure that funding is allocated for the creation of a new digital inclusion strategy.

It is a scandal that the previous government did not introduce a digital inclusion strategy for ten years.Digital inclusion is a priority for my department and for government, and work is ongoing to develop our approach to tackling digital exclusion and coordinate across government departments. Digital inclusion means ensuring that everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to participate in a modern digital society, whatever their circumstances.Government will work closely with the third sector, devolved administrations, businesses and local authorities, many of whom have already implemented highly successful programmes, to ensure interventions are collaborative and targeted to individual needs.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to increase digital accessibility for vulnerable people.

It is a scandal that the previous government did not introduce a digital inclusion strategy for ten years.Digital inclusion is a priority for my department and for government, and work is ongoing to develop our approach to tackling digital exclusion and coordinate across government departments. Digital inclusion means ensuring that everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to participate in a modern digital society, whatever their circumstances.Government will work closely with the third sector, devolved administrations, businesses and local authorities, many of whom have already implemented highly successful programmes, to ensure interventions are collaborative and targeted to individual needs.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help tackle online state-sponsored harmful content.

Under the Online Safety Act, companies will be forced to take action against illegal content online. The Foreign Interference Offence, a priority offence in the Act, will require companies to tackle a wide range of state-linked interference online, and platforms will be faced with enforcement action from Ofcom in case of non-compliance.The department engages regularly with social media platforms to discuss state sponsored activity online. This includes flagging content that violates platforms’ terms of service for swift review and working with them to ensure their terms of service are fit for purpose.

Innovation and Technology, if he will work with technology companies to increase online safety.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the internet, and social media in particular, is safe for UK users, especially children. Whilst technology companies have a key role in accelerating innovation, investment and productivity across the UK, they must also accept their responsibility to keep people safe on their platforms. I engage frequently with those companies and I am committed to working with them as we continue to implement the Online Safety Act.

Innovation and Technology, if he will take steps to increase online safety for children.

The government is committed to keeping children safe online and we will continue to work with campaigners, charities, industry, and the regulator to achieve this goal. Our priority is the quick and effective implementation of the Online Safety Act to ensure that children benefit from the wide-reaching protections of the Act.

Innovation and Technology, how much funding has been allocated to ensuring public services are accessible digitally.

The Service Standard and the Technology Code of Practice require government teams to make sure that services are accessible to all users, including disabled people, people with other legally protected characteristics, people who do not have access to the internet or lack the skills and confidence to use the internet.Accessibility auditing and research with disabled users are expected to be included within the funding to build and run every government service.The new Digital Centre will drive greater inclusion and accessibility to government services.

Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of developing a digital inclusion strategy on the number of (a) anti-Semitic and (b) anti-Muslim incidents.

It is a scandal that the previous government did not introduce a digital inclusion strategy for ten years.Digital inclusion is a priority for my department and for government, and work is ongoing to develop our approach to tackling digital exclusion and coordinate across government departments. Digital inclusion means ensuring that everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to participate in a modern digital society, whatever their circumstances.Government will work closely with the third sector, devolved administrations, businesses and local authorities, many of whom have already implemented highly successful programmes, to ensure interventions are collaborative and targeted to individual needs.In developing our plans, we will consider the impact of digital exclusion on all our communities, including Jewish and Muslim communities across the country.We are working at pace to deliver a Digital inclusion national action plan for publication in early December, we are unable to announce this publicly but want to assure that digital inclusion is a priority for government.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 6 September 2024 to Question 2163 on Animal Experiments, what his planned timetable is for the work on requirements for phasing out animal testing.

The Government has committed to partnering with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the requirements for phasing out of animal testing and discussions on this subject are already underway. It is not yet possible to replace all animal use due to the complexity of biological systems and regulatory requirements for their use. Any work to phase out animal testing must be science led, in lock step with partners, and so we will not be setting arbitrary timelines for reducing their use.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Answer of 12 September 2024 to Question 2163 on Animal Experiments, which scientists his Department has partnered with to work towards the requirements for phasing out animal testing; and how often he has met those scientists.

We are currently engaging with partners from sectors with interests in animal science as to how we will take this commitment forward. This has included a meeting with representatives from the agricultural, chemical, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, and a meeting with government scientists and regulators, including MHRA, APHA, FSA, EA and UKHSA. Further engagement will take place as this work develops.

Innovation and Technology, whether he will prioritise phasing out testing on protected species when phasing out animal testing.

The Government has committed to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”. This includes all animals protected by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, including those with special protection.

Innovation and Technology, if he will conduct an impact assessment of his plans to phase out animal testing.

The Government has committed to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal. We are currently engaging with partners from sectors with interests in animal science as to how we will take this commitment forward. This will include consideration of how the impact of any actions will be assessed.