Written questions by Collins.

Innovation and Technology, how she will support children, parents and carers to understand the safe use and risks of generative AI tools.

Protecting children from harm online is a top priority for this government. This year, the government will be supporting a NSPCC summit at Wilton Park on the impact of AI on childhood. This will bring together experts, technology companies, civil society and young people to explore how AI can benefit children without exposing them to harm. Media literacy is also a key part of our approach, helping children and adults develop critical thinking skills to navigate the growing presence of AI-generated content. DSIT is working with the Department for Education to develop an online ‘parent hub’ providing guidance on media literacy and online safety.

Innovation and Technology, what steps she plans to take to include children’s perspectives in the policymaking process for generative AI.

This year, the government will be supporting a summit at Wilton Park on the impact of AI on childhood. This will bring together experts, technology companies, civil society and young people to explore how AI can benefit children without exposing them to harm.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential role of app store age verification in improving online safety.

Under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom has a duty to publish a report on the role of app stores in children accessing harmful content on the apps of regulated services. The report will also assess the use and effectiveness of age assurance on app stores. This report is due by January 2027.Following consideration of Ofcom’s report, the Secretary of State has a delegated power to apply duties on app stores, which may include greater use of age assurance.Ofcom’s call for evidence to inform this report closed on 1 December. The government will consider next steps in due course.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of enabling children waiting over 26 weeks for a paediatric appointment to be seen by alternative NHS-commissioned providers.

Patients in England have a right to request their local integrated care board (ICB) find an alternative provider when they have been waiting, or expect to wait, over 18 weeks to begin treatment for consultant-led care.ICBs are required to take all reasonable steps to ensure the patient is offered an appointment with a clinically appropriate alternative provider with whom an ICB or NHS England has an NHS Standard Contract for the relevant service, who can start their treatment more quickly. Further information is available on the NHS Choice Framework at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nhs-choice-framework/

What steps his Department is taking to provide support or funding to NHS Trusts with paediatric waiting times exceeding 26 weeks.

The Government’s ambition is to restore performance against the NHS Constitutional standard, which requires 92% of patients to start consultant-led treatment within 18 weeks.All waiting lists are subject to clinical prioritisation at a local level. The National Health Service triages patients waiting for elective care, including surgeries, ensuring the order in which patients are seen reflects clinical judgement on need as well as taking into account overall wait time.The Spending Review 2025 has prioritised health, with record investment in the health and social care system, including investment in elective services. Through the Spending Review, the Government announced that NHS day to day spending will increase by £29 billion in real terms by 2028/29 compared to 2023/24.The Department recognises the impact of long waits on children and young people and is committed to reducing paediatric waiting times.Through the Elective Recovery Plan, we have invested in additional capacity, including surgical hubs, community diagnostic centres, and increased use of the independent sector to support challenged trusts.Targeted support is provided via Getting It Right First Time and specialty-specific improvement programmes, including paediatric ear, nose, and throat, and ophthalmology. National planning guidance sets expectations for systems to prioritise clinically urgent cases and those at risk of deterioration.

How many children have waited more than (a) 26 and (b) 40 weeks for an initial paediatric referral triage in the most recent 12-month period for which data is available.

We do not hold data on how many children have waited more than 26 and 40 weeks for an initial paediatric referral triage in the most recent 12-month period.Published referral to treatment data covers the period on waiting time from referral to first definitive treatment.

What funding is available to local authorities to improve street lighting in residential areas where safety guidance is not met; and what criteria are used to allocate that funding.

The management of street lighting in England is the responsibility of local highway authorities, who have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highways in their charge, including street lighting. Authorities do not have a duty to light their networks but, where lighting has been provided, the authority has a duty to maintain it. The Government encourages local authorities to consider best practice when making decisions about lighting on their networks and to work closely with emergency services and other key partners when considering the street lighting needs of local communities. Advice is available in the UK Roads Leadership Group’s Code of Practice for Well Managed Highway Infrastructure, which references British Standards for road lighting. The Government has confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment for local highways maintenance over the next four years, bringing annual funding to over £2 billion annually by 2029/30. This funding is provided to local authorities to maintain all parts of the highway network, including lighting columns, bridges, cycleways and footways. In addition to increasing the available funding, the Department has confirmed funding allocations for the next four years, providing greater funding certainty to local authorities. This will help them to plan ahead and move away from expensive, short-term repairs and to instead invest in proactive and preventative maintenance. The Department allocates funding to local highway authorities based on a formula, which takes account of road lengths in each authority area, as well as the number of bridges and lighting columns.

What guidance his Department has issued to Integrated Care Boards on clinically prioritising children whose symptoms are deteriorating while awaiting paediatric referral allocation.

The Government is committed to ensuring that patient outcomes will be at the heart of building a National Health Service that is fit for the future.National planning guidance sets expectations for systems to prioritise clinically urgent cases and those at risk of deterioration. The NHS triages patients waiting for elective care at a local level, ensuring the order in which patients are seen reflects clinical judgement on need as well as taking into account overall wait time.We have committed to ensuring that integrated care boards and providers have interventions in place to reduce disparities for groups who face additional waiting list challenges, and primary and secondary care clinicians are to improve e-RS functionality, a national digital platform for referring patients into elective care, by including data to enable better prioritisation of children and young people.The clinically led Getting It Right First Time children and young people programme continue to work with providers to ensure they are implementing best practice to improve children’s outcomes and waiting times across all medical and surgical specialities.

What the average waiting time is for paediatric referrals in (a) East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, (b) Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB and (c) England; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce paediatric referral backlogs.

The median average waiting time for paediatric referrals for those that are currently on the referral to treatment waiting list is:- 8.7 weeks for the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust;- 8.7 weeks for the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB); and- 9.9 weeks for England.Our Elective Reform Plan (ERP), published in January 2025, sets out how the National Health Service will reform elective care services and meet the 18-week referral to treatment standard for all patients, including children and young people, by March 2029. As a first step to achieving this, we exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments in our first year of Government, delivering 5.2 million more appointments.We have made it easier to monitor elective waiting times for children and young people by publishing new demographic data as part of monthly inequalities statistical releases. This is a big step forward in improving the transparency of waiting times and will provide accountability for children’s elective waiting lists.The ERP outlined several commitments specifically in relation to children and young people including that ICBs and providers should ensure interventions are in place to reduce disparities for groups who face additional waiting list challenges, and that primary and secondary care clinicians are encouraged to improve digital referral functionality by including data that enables better prioritisation.In addition, the clinically led Getting It Right First Time Children and Young people programme continues to work with providers to ensure they are implementing best practice to improve children’s outcomes and waiting times across all medical and surgical specialities.Lastly, dedicated paediatric surgery days are being introduced across England, using existing NHS estate in day surgery or hub settings, to boost surgical activity for children and young people. We are also making the most of surgical hubs to deliver better outcomes for children, through promoting greater paediatric ear, nose, and throat access. Surgical hubs will play a key role in delivering this increased activity and ensuring timely access to planned care.

What guidance her Department provides to local authorities on minimum lighting levels required on residential roads.

The management of street lighting in England is the responsibility of local highway authorities, who have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highways in their charge, including street lighting. Authorities do not have a duty to light their networks but, where lighting has been provided, the authority has a duty to maintain it. The Government encourages local authorities to consider best practice when making decisions about lighting on their networks and to work closely with emergency services and other key partners when considering the street lighting needs of local communities. Advice is available in the UK Roads Leadership Group’s Code of Practice for Well Managed Highway Infrastructure, which references British Standards for road lighting. The Government has confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment for local highways maintenance over the next four years, bringing annual funding to over £2 billion annually by 2029/30. This funding is provided to local authorities to maintain all parts of the highway network, including lighting columns, bridges, cycleways and footways. In addition to increasing the available funding, the Department has confirmed funding allocations for the next four years, providing greater funding certainty to local authorities. This will help them to plan ahead and move away from expensive, short-term repairs and to instead invest in proactive and preventative maintenance. The Department allocates funding to local highway authorities based on a formula, which takes account of road lengths in each authority area, as well as the number of bridges and lighting columns.

What the mandate is for the British Business Bank's direct investment programme in scale-up companies.

The British Business Bank’s mandate for making direct equity investments in scale-up companies is set out in the Statement of Strategic Priorities issued to the Bank by the Secretary of State and the Chancellor. This was published on 21 October 2025. At the 2025 Spending Review, the BBB was entrusted with an additional £4 billion of capital with the goal of accelerating investment into the Industrial Strategy priority sectors. The strategic mandate requires the Bank to “help anchor strategically significant companies in the UK, including through use of the bank’s direct investment capabilities to target priority sectors and technologies.”

Whether local authorities are (a) encouraged and (b) required to upgrade street lighting to meet British Standards.

The management of street lighting in England is the responsibility of local highway authorities, who have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highways in their charge, including street lighting. Authorities do not have a duty to light their networks but, where lighting has been provided, the authority has a duty to maintain it. The Government encourages local authorities to consider best practice when making decisions about lighting on their networks and to work closely with emergency services and other key partners when considering the street lighting needs of local communities. Advice is available in the UK Roads Leadership Group’s Code of Practice for Well Managed Highway Infrastructure, which references British Standards for road lighting. The Government has confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment for local highways maintenance over the next four years, bringing annual funding to over £2 billion annually by 2029/30. This funding is provided to local authorities to maintain all parts of the highway network, including lighting columns, bridges, cycleways and footways. In addition to increasing the available funding, the Department has confirmed funding allocations for the next four years, providing greater funding certainty to local authorities. This will help them to plan ahead and move away from expensive, short-term repairs and to instead invest in proactive and preventative maintenance. The Department allocates funding to local highway authorities based on a formula, which takes account of road lengths in each authority area, as well as the number of bridges and lighting columns.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support a coordinated regulatory framework for artificial intelligence across different regulatory bodies.

Given the range of applications of AI and the pace of change, the government recognises that collaboration between regulators is key for an effective regulatory framework. Our expert UK regulators are already collaborating extensively, including through the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum.The government is committed to supporting coordination, collaboration and knowledge exchange between regulators on AI. In response to the AI Action Plan, the Government committed to building the capability of regulators so they are prepared for the opportunities and risks of AI.The government recently launched a Call for Evidence on proposals for the AI Growth Lab – which would unlock AI innovation and adoption by bringing together multiple regulators to trial responsible AI under close supervision.The Department is also working through the Regulatory Innovation Office to embed innovative regulatory practices that support safe experimentation and adaptive frameworks. This includes promoting regulatory sandboxes and testbeds to help regulators and innovators trial AI solutions responsibly, ensuring flexibility without compromising safety.

Innovation and Technology, what progress she has made on the delivery of AI Growth Zones; how many zones have been formally designated; and whether regulatory reforms have been implemented within those zones.

AI Growth Zones (AIGZs) are a national mission to give the UK the world-class infrastructure it needs to lead in artificial intelligence, unlock billions in private investment, and drive long-term economic growth.Following a formal application process, we have confirmed four AI Growth Zones located in Culham, the North East Combined Authority, North Wales, and South Wales. We will continue to review applications and carry out targeted site engagement to confirm future AIGZ locations in due course.On 13 November 2025 DSIT announced a suite of new policy and reforms for enabling AI infrastructure as well as AI Growth Zones that will support access to energy, reduce planning barriers, and tackle energy costs. You can read the full publication here - Delivering AI Growth Zones - GOV.UK.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Ofcom's response to harmful content online.

On December 4, Ofcom released a summary of the tech sector's response to the UK's new online safety rules. While there has been progress, further action is needed, including major services. Ofcom has our full backing in using all available powers to protect users.Government also continues to go further– announcing that self-harm, cyberflashing and strangulation in pornography will be priority offences under the Act, ensuring platforms take proactive action to tackle this content.Ministers and officials meet Ofcom regularly to discuss online safety, and we continue to monitor outcomes through our joint evaluation programme.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of copyright law on the ability of companies to train AI models in the UK.

The government consulted on several topics relating to the interaction between copyright and artificial intelligence (AI). We have carefully analysed the responses and continue to engage extensively on this issue, including through technical working groups.The government published a progress update on 16 December 2025 and will publish a report on the use of copyright works in the development of AI systems, and economic impact assessment, by 18 March 2026.

To provide a month-by-month breakdown of the number of people who are victims of (a) online and (b) offline fraud, for each year from 2020 to 2025.

Fraud is the most experienced crime in England and Wales according to the Office of National Statistics’ (ONS) Crime Survey of England and Wales (CSEW). It accounts for 44% of all estimated surveyed crime committed in England and Wales in the year ending June 2025. The CSEW also estimates that approximately 50% of fraud is cyber-enabled.A month-by-month breakdown of the number of individuals who have experienced online, and offline fraud is not available. However, the ONS provides quarterly figures, the latest of which is available below:www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingjune2025

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent changes to the eligibility criteria for Indefinite Leave to Remain on British Nationals (Overseas) students who have resettled in the UK.

The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK.BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements. Individuals on the BN(O) route who are studying in the UK will also qualify for the same reduction.We are seeking views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement and will continue to listen to the views of Hong Kongers. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation. An impact assessment will be developed alongside the finalised policy.In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with Ofcom on its classification system for AI chatbots; and whether her Department plans to review the classification of chatbot services as search services.

Last year, Ofcom published a letter that set out that if an AI service searches the live internet to return its results it will be regulated under the Act as a search service.The Secretary of State has confirmed in Parliament that the government will further consider the role of chatbots and how they interact with the Online Safety Act, and has urged Ofcom to use its existing powers to ensure they are safe for children.Where evidence demonstrates that further action is necessary to protect children and the wider public, we will not hesitate to act.

What assessment she has made of the level of economic loss from AI-enabled fraud and scams.

The Government does not hold an estimate of the full socio-economic cost from AI enabled fraud. Not all incidents of fraud are reported but reports to Action Fraud which reference the suspected use of artificial intelligence resulted in estimated losses of £0.69m in 2023, £4.55m in 2024 and £3.74m in the period of January to September 2025. Action Fraud was replaced by the improved Report Fraud service on 4 December. It is a self-reporting tool, meaning those making reports will not always be aware if AI has been used and it is not possible to independently verify the use of AI generated content.