Written questions by Hall.

What progress the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group has made on developing recommendations to improve inclusivity for neurodivergent children in mainstream schools.

The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, chaired by Professor Karen Guldberg from Birmingham University, is providing an expert view and making recommendations on how to best meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people within mainstream education settings.The group brings together experts including clinicians, scientists and academics, education professionals, and charities representing specific types of neurodivergence.The department has been clear that in developing their advice, we expect the group to draw on a wide range of inputs, including other sector experts and stakeholders, to ensure appropriate coverage of other types of neurodivergence. The group have also been listening to the voices of neurodivergent children and young people, their parents, and others who care for them.The group is finalising its recommendations.

How much of the £740 million investment to support inclusive classrooms has been allocated to schools in Warrington South constituency; and what criteria were used to determine allocations for (a) adaptations, (b) specialist units and (c) additional special school places.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or who require alternative provision sits with local authorities.The department provides local authorities with capital funding to support them to meet this duty and has published allocations for £740 million in high needs provision capital allocations for the 2025/26 financial year.Of this £740 million, Warrington Borough Council has been allocated £3 million.This funding can be used to adapt schools to be more accessible, to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit pupils’ needs and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.It is up to the council to determine how they prioritise this funding to address local need in the most appropriate way.

Whether any schools in Warrington South constituency are receiving support through the new attendance and behaviour hubs; and how her Department is monitoring the impact of this programme on pupil (a) attendance and (b) behaviour outcomes.

The department recently announced our Attendance and Behaviour Hubs programme and will be announcing the appointment of lead Hubs and further information about available support in the coming months. Schools in need of support will then be matched with lead hubs.Each new Attendance and Behaviour Hub will work closely with their respective regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) team to help identify and deliver the appropriate support for schools with attendance and behaviour challenges. In addition, lead Hubs will also deliver termly regional events, including open days and training sessions, collectively reaching up to 4,500 schools per year.The programme will be independently evaluated throughout its lifespan utilising process, impact and economic evaluation methodologies.

Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to pilot new (a) digital service models and (b) GOV.UK application functionality with local authorities prior to national rollout.

The GOV.UK app, which launched into public beta on 1 July 2025, embodies our vision of a government that provides a personalised and proactive experience which meets people where they are, bringing together access to central and local services into one secure place. The app’s local authority feature will allow you to input any UK postcode and add a shortcut to the relevant local council on your app home screen, including local councils in devolved nations. This content will develop over time.Officials continue to work closely with teams across government departments and local authorities to ensure joined up user journeys and consistent experiences across platforms.

Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to partner with technology SMEs to deliver components of the Government's digital strategy.

The Government is committed to partnering with technology SMEs to deliver components of the Government’s digital strategy.To support this, the Digital Commercial Centre of Excellence in Government Digital Service is working closely with trade bodies that represent SME’s to ensure that the SME’s get regular opportunities to engage with officials and gain a detailed understanding of the digital strategy and how the SME community can help.These communities will be able to provide insights and provide feedback to GDS, noting that any commercial engagements will need to follow procurement regulations.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to his Department's Blueprint for Modern Digital Government, published on 21 January 2025, what plans he has to increase secure data sharing between departments and public bodies.

GDS is leading work to improve the way we share, govern and use data across government and the wider public sector. Strengthening and extending our digital and data public infrastructure is one of six priorities identified in the Blueprint for Modern Digital Government.This includes developing guidance, standards and tools for fast and secure data exchange, such as a mandate for the publication of a standard set of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) by public sector organisations, and the creation of a National Data Library to manage public sector data as a national strategic resource.We are also driving forward use of the data sharing provisions of the Digital Economy Act 2017 to target and improve public services to citizens as well as addressing barriers to data sharing more widely.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to develop safeguards to ensure algorithmic transparency in AI tools deployed by public sector bodies.

The Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS) offers a standardised method for public sector bodies to publish information on their use of algorithmic tools. Its use is mandatory for all government departments and for Arms Length Bodies providing public or frontline services, or directly engaging with the public. The ATRS applies to algorithmic tools which significantly influence public decision-making or directly interact with the general public. It is also recommended for algorithmic tools and public authorities outside this mandatory scope. Over 70 records have been published, ensuring safeguards for various algorithmic tool uses across government and the wider public sector.

Innovation and Technology, what plans his Department has to (a) reduce duplication in digital services and (b) consolidate departmental platforms.

The Government is committed to delivering more joined up public services, reducing duplication, and developing modern digital public infrastructure that will make public organisations more integrated. Thousands of teams across the public sector are already using our world-leading digital components such as GOV.UK Notify, Pay and Design System.The Government will establish a ‘once only’ rule, so that if people have provided information to one service, it can be reused by others with appropriate safeguards. It will start with central government services and commonly reused data, but be designed to scale over time to the broader public sector and more information.The Government has also committed to introducing a Digital Backbone: the integration, orchestration and instrumentation technology needed to share capabilities and build true end-to-end journeys.

Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions he has had with private sector technology providers on the (a) development and (b) scaling of (i) the GOV.UK application and (ii) supporting infrastructure.

The GOV.UK app has been developed in-house by a multi-disciplinary Government Digital Service (GDS) led team. We are committed to iterative development and improvements, and to working in the open - a core part of the GDS culture. We're actively learning, improving, and expanding what the app can do.The government remains committed to collaborating with industry experts to ensure that digital services are secure, efficient, and able to meet the evolving needs of users across the UK.

Innovation and Technology, what recent assessment he has made of the potential barriers to cross-departmental data integration; and what steps he is taking to help mitigate them.

The State of Digital Government Review identified five root causes for the issues with the current state of digital government, all of which are barriers to cross-departmental data integration: Leadership, Structure, Measurement, Talent and Funding. In addition, an extensive data management discovery has recently concluded which identified strategic, cultural and technical barriers to data capability across government.The Blueprint for Modern Digital Government sets out the first steps in the government's plans to address these challenges, including work to strengthen and extend our digital and data infrastructure. This includes developing guidance, standards and tools for fast and secure data exchange, such as a mandate for the publication of a standard set of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) by public sector organisations, and the development of a cross-government Data Management Hub to support the adoption of consistent best practice. We are also expanding data sharing legislation, where necessary, and creating the National Data Library to provide the trusted data foundations needed for the delivery of a modern digital economy.

Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an assessment of regional differences in digital infrastructure that may affect the rollout of the digital transformation strategy.

Differences in digital infrastructure are regularly assessed through Ofcom’s Connected Nations reporting. We are committed to ensuring nationwide (at least 99%) gigabit broadband coverage by 2032 and to standalone 5G coverage by 2030 across all populated areas of the UK.88% of premises already have access to gigabit-capable broadband. To extend coverage further, Project Gigabit contracts have been signed across the UK. These contracts take account of regional differences in provision of digital infrastructure.4G coverage from at least one mobile operator has now reached over 95% of the UK landmass as a result of the Shared Rural Network, with the biggest improvements in mobile coverage being delivered across rural Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Scotland had the lowest coverage at the start of the programme, so the biggest investment has been directed there to improve coverage.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to coordinate integration of digital platforms across departments.

The Government is committed to delivering more joined up public services, reducing duplication, and developing modern digital public infrastructure that will make public organisations more integrated.The Government has also committed to introducing a Digital Backbone: the integration, orchestration and instrumentation technology needed to share capabilities and build true end-to-end journeys.The Government has also committed to launch a Digital Commercial Centre of Excellence, which will negotiate whole-of-public-sector agreements and contracting once for a limited number of high value cases, including platform services such as cloud.

Innovation and Technology, whether the GOV.UK wallet will be launched as a standalone application; and what plans his Department has for the inclusion of digital driving licences within the wallet’s functionality.

The Government is developing the GOV.UK Wallet, which will initially be released as part of the existing GOV.UK One Login app. The first credential will be the Veteran Card, followed by plans for an early version of the digital driving licence later this year. This follows on from the Blueprint for Modern Digital Government, requiring services to issue a digitally verified credential alongside any paper/card-based credential or proof of entitlement eligibility by the end of 2027.

Innovation and Technology, what role the Digital Centre of Government will play in (a) mandating and (b) monitoring digital service standards across (i) departments and (ii) public bodies.

The Service Standard provides the principles of building a good service. It’s made up of 14 points covering three specific areas: meeting user needs, providing a good service and using the right technology. The Service Standard is mandated for all GOV.UK services. If a central government service is transactional, it will be assessed against the Service Standard before it can be accessed via GOV.UK. This applies even if the service is internal and will only be used by civil servants. In ‘A blueprint for modern digital government’, the Government committed to publishing a new Digital & AI Roadmap which will set out further detail on plans to improve service standards and performance.

Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has undertaken a cross-Government audit of legacy systems to inform the prioritisation of modernisation efforts.

The last survey of legacy systems was conducted in 2024. The scale of legacy varies by organisation and is not consistently measured, but it is estimated to comprise 28% of systems in central government departments in 2024, an increase from 26% in 2023.Government Digital Service (GDS) has worked closely with HM Treasury throughout the recent spending review to ensure that decisions on funding took into account the need to replace and upgrade legacy IT systems. GDS will continue to work with both HMT and Departments going forward

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure digital (a) inclusion and (b) consistency across in (i) urban and (ii) rural local authorities in transforming public service delivery.

The Government is committed to improving digital inclusion and ensuring consistency in the transformation of public service delivery across both urban and rural areas. Through the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s Digital Inclusion Action Plan: First Steps, the Government is working with local authorities and delivery partners to improve access to digital services and address barriers to inclusion. This includes identifying and addressing gaps in existing guidance, such as the Service Manual and Service Standard, and developing a measurement framework to support service teams in assessing and improving inclusivity. These steps will support more consistent, user-focused service transformation regardless of location.

Innovation and Technology, whether the new GOV.UK website will allow for integration with services provided by (a) local authorities and (b) other public bodies.

The Blueprint for Modern Digital Government sets out the government's vision for joined-up services that span the public sector, deliver a more satisfying user experience and reduce the bureaucratic burden on citizens.The GOV.UK website already helps users to move between GOV.UK and wider public services. Users can select their location to see information relevant to them, and follow embedded links to, for example, local government services and health-related content.The new GOV.UK App similarly enables people to tailor their experience based on their location; after inputting a UK postcode, the GOV.UK App directs users to the relevant local council. Future iterations of the GOV.UK App will provide more personalised and integrated access.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he plans to take to help tackle public concerns on (a) surveillance and (b) the misuse of personal data as digital identity and service integration increases.

The Government plans to introduce digital versions of existing government-issued documents through the GOV.UK Wallet, a secure digital service for storing government-issued credentials on users’ smartphones. By design, Government will not be keeping a record of where credentials are used.GOV.UK One Login allows citizens to safely and securely prove their identity to access government services online. Privacy is at the core of its design; it is compliant with UK data protection and privacy laws.In addition, measures on digital verification services (‘DVS’) in the Data (Use and Access) Act create a legislative structure of standards (the UK digital identity and attributes trust framework), governance and oversight for DVS that wish to appear on a government register, so that people will know what a good digital identity looks like.The trust framework includes rules on privacy, data protection, and fraud management, building on existing industry standards and legislation where appropriate, to ensure user needs are put first.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to his Department's Blueprint for Modern Digital Government, published on 21 January 2025, what steps his Department is taking with the Government Digital Service to provide (a) funding, (b) specialist advice and (c) digital tools to support local authorities with implementation.

The Blueprint for Modern Digital Government set out the government’s vision for digital services across the whole of the public sector. Earlier this year, the Government Digital Service ran a sprint looking at how GDS should work with and support local authorities to achieve this vision.The sprint found the challenges that local authorities face in data sharing and the IT market and considered how GDS products, services and capabilities could support local government.Following the sprint, GDS is establishing a programme of collaboration with local government to support local transformation.

Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to support (a) public sector bodies and (b) local authorities to (i) replace and (ii) upgrade legacy IT systems.

The Government is committed to ensuring that all public sector digital systems are safe, secure and stable. This includes ensuring that legacy systems are effectively managed.To support this, the Government Digital Service worked closely with HMT throughout the recent spending review to ensure that decisions on funding took into account the need to replace and upgrade legacy IT systems.The Government Digital Service will now continue to work with organisations across the public sector, including local government, to identify the most effective ways to upgrade or replace legacy services and to share best practice.