Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

Non-consensual intimate images (NCII) are completely unacceptable and tackling this abuse is a priority for this government.

Under the Online Safety Act, services must assess for the risk of NCII, take steps to prevent this content appearing and removing it swiftly when it does. This government has built on the framework by introducing a new requirement on service to remove NCII within 48 hours of a valid report.

This is complemented by Ofcom’s update to its illegal content codes on the use of hash-matching to deliver victim-centred protection from this horrific abuse.

The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology engages regularly with her Government counterparts to discuss the importance of AI and its associated infrastructure. DSIT officials also engage regularly with relevant organisations such as DEFRA and the Environment Agency, recognising the need to ensure AI infrastructure does not compromise the resilience of public water supplies. The Government will continue to support AI infrastructure growth while protecting water supplies and the local environment, ensuring that the growth of the sector is stable and sustainable.

The Government’s ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030 and this will be achieved primarily by commercial investment from the three Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).

Business models in which patents are bought, and then enforced against others, may be legitimate, including in the 5G sector. Through the Intellectual Property Office, government monitors the effective functioning of the patent system to ensure that incentives to innovate are maintained. The IPO recently undertook a review of the legal framework surrounding Standards Essential Patents to identify and consider how to address a number of issues, including licensing practices. The Government expects to publish a response this summer.

Regarding whether patent trolls impact the rollout of 5G networks, this is not an issue that has been raised with Government, including through the recent Mobile Market Review call for evidence which asked stakeholders for evidence on the major developments occurring across the mobile sector.

The Government’s ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030 and this will be achieved primarily by commercial investment from the three Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).

Business models in which patents are bought, and then enforced against others, may be legitimate, including in the 5G sector. Through the Intellectual Property Office, government monitors the effective functioning of the patent system to ensure that incentives to innovate are maintained. The IPO recently undertook a review of the legal framework surrounding Standards Essential Patents to identify and consider how to address a number of issues, including licensing practices. The Government expects to publish a response this summer.

Regarding whether patent trolls impact the rollout of 5G networks, this is not an issue that has been raised with Government, including through the recent Mobile Market Review call for evidence which asked stakeholders for evidence on the major developments occurring across the mobile sector.

This information is not held in the requested format.

Through a combination of commercial market and government subsidised delivery, government is ensuring 99% of UK premises will have access to gigabit-capable broadband by 2032.

Project Gigabit delivery across the East England region is primarily being taken forward through several Project Gigabit contracts, including those covering Suffolk, Norfolk and Bedfordshire, Northampton and Milton Keynes, alongside wider cross-regional interventions to reach remaining premises.

As a result of these Project Gigabit contracts, over 43,740 premises across the East England region have already received a gigabit-capable connection, with an additional 72,420 still expected to be given coverage. Across the county of Bedfordshire, over 5430 premises already have access to a gigabit-capable connection, with a further 1140 expected to receive a gigabit-capable connection via Project Gigabit contracts.

For the remaining premises which are not within the scope of suppliers’ commercial plans or existing Project Gigabit contracts, Building Digital UK (BDUK) is working to put in place further coverage solutions as soon as possible. A market engagement consultation for suppliers was published on 1 June to confirm supplier interest in relation to the premises that still need coverage in Bedfordshire and other areas of central, eastern and south-eastern England.

The Government’s assessment has focused on how artificial intelligence can improve civil service roles, productivity and service delivery, including by automating routine tasks and supporting use of departmental capability. This work is being taken forward alongside controls on consultancy spending and wider reforms to strengthen efficiency and value for money.

The UK government has worked within the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to create a global standard (EN 304 223) that sets baseline security requirements for the developers and deployers of AI models and systems. This standard will help provide a cyber resilient and ‘secure by design’ approach to utilising AI systems in government. We also embed baseline security requirements throughout government procurement and our supply chains, including through the use of Modular Security Schedules in contracts.

We are also considering how government can better facilitate more specific products-based assurance, including the defining of more proportionate assurance models that are aligned to supplier criticality.

Government’s most critical systems are independently assessed against the NCSC’s Cyber Assessment Framework through the GovAssure scheme, now in its third year of operation. We have also conducted a programme of independent red teaming of critical government assets.

The Government is committed to high data protection standards, protecting privacy while enabling responsible use of data for innovation and growth. The UK and EU have granted mutual adequacy decisions facilitating free flows of personal data. This is important for UK organisations that may need to share data with partners, customers or suppliers in EU countries. Where UK organisations also process EU residents' data, EU data protection law may apply. The ICO publishes guidance (https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/advice-for-small-organisations/information-security/data-protection-and-the-eu/) to help businesses navigate these obligations. The EU is currently considering some changes to the EU GDPR, and we will monitor these developments carefully, particularly any impact on UK businesses.

While DSIT acts as the ICO’s sponsor department within government, it is an independent regulator and accountable to Parliament.

To address their backlog, the ICO has introduced a new data protection complaints framework that sets out how it assesses and prioritises each case and determines the extent to which it is appropriate to investigate. This approach is designed to help the ICO focus its resources on the most serious issues and provide more timely outcomes. The framework can be viewed at: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/data-protection-framework/.

From 19 June 2026 when relevant provisions in the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 come into force, controllers will also be required to have a process in place to acknowledge data protection complaints from members of the public within a month of receipt and respond to the complaint without undue delay. If complaints are dealt with effectively by organisations, this will further reduce pressure on ICO’s resources.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is developing a Food, Animal and Plant Health programme to generate the knowledge and innovations needed for a resilient, healthy and sustainable food system. A priority is strengthening UK resilience to shocks and chronic risks (e.g. climate change, extreme weather, geopolitical instability, and emerging pests and diseases).

Between 2020/21 and 2024/25, UKRI invested approximately £155m in food resilience-related research and initiatives, alongside £85m for research at institutes in related areas like sustainable agriculture, alternative proteins, advanced food production, and plant and animal health. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs works closely with UKRI, including on food system resilience.

As of the end of December 2025, over 1.3 million premises in hard-to-reach communities across the UK had been upgraded to gigabit-capable broadband through government-funded programmes.

A further 580,000 premises are currently included in Project Gigabit contracts for gigabit coverage in areas not covered by commercially funded plans.

Building Digital UK (BDUK) is currently refreshing its delivery plans for the remaining premises not included in Project Gigabit in support of the government’s objective of reaching at least 99% of UK premises by 2032.

Our expectation is that some remote premises will remain too expensive to build a gigabit fibre connection to. We are monitoring and supporting market development for alternative solutions, for example through fixed wireless access or satellite broadband connections, including by encouraging spectrum releases and ground station deployments. Many premises in rural areas are already adopting these services.

There have been no ministerial meetings with BT about Public Call Boxes.

UK public call boxes have fallen from around 92,000 (early 1990s) to around 11,000 in 2025.

My department’s officials are aware of the issues that can occur and are actively having discussions with BT and other government departments to understand and address these issues.

The project “Palestinian Bedouin at risk of forced displacement: IHL vulnerabilities, ICC possibilities” (GB-GOV-13-OODA-AHRC-C4WCAGQ-R6SBCMZ-AYRNVWK) was funded under the AHRC/DFID Collaborative Humanitarian Protection Programme, which aimed to strengthen understanding of humanitarian protection risks and identify effective ways to reduce harm to vulnerable populations. The project produced a range of outputs, including peer‑reviewed research publications, policy papers, and wider dissemination materials, alongside field research across affected communities. It also supported wider policy, parliamentary and multilateral engagement, informed by research findings.

Value for money was an explicit assessment criterion, with all proposals subject to rigorous peer review by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the then Department for International Development, including detailed assessment of resource justification. All projects were required to submit an Official Development Assistance (ODA) compliance statement as part of the application process, in line with standard requirements.

The details of Ministerial meetings with external stakeholders are published in quarterly transparency returns.

The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology has not engaged directly with National Trading Standards or Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) on the specific question of luxury goods. However, PIPCU and Trading Standards routinely work in tandem to disrupt counterfeiting activity. This includes plans to specifically target counterfeited goods on our high streets.

The Government is reducing the sale of counterfeit fashion goods by supporting Police, Trading Standards and Border Force to take targeted enforcement action, disrupt online sales, seize counterfeit goods and use Proceeds of Crime Act powers to recover criminal profits, ensuring counterfeiting does not pay.

Between 2021-2023 Border Force have seized counterfeit articles with a retail value exceeding half a billion pounds.

For the most advanced AI systems, our world-leading AI Security Institute is a centre of UK expertise, advancing our scientific understanding of their capabilities and the associated risks. AISI has already run a large study on backdoor data poisoning, and conducted the largest AI agent red-teaming study to date, identifying tens of thousands of vulnerabilities across sectors including finance, healthcare and customer support. AISI continues to work hand in hand with developers and with the National Cyber Security Centre to make AI protections stronger.

The government has already published a Code of Practice to set the baseline security requirements for AI models and systems, alongside working with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to create a global standard (EN 304 223) that builds on the Code.

This standard is relevant to all organisations and sets out requirements for developers and deployers of AI alongside data custodians. To support organisations, we have contributed to the publication of an implementation guide (TR 104 128) and we are now working to produce a conformity assessment in ETSI (TS 104 216). The government has also recently completed some pilot training workshops with various professions, including small businesses and published the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025-2026 which examined adoption and security approaches by UK organisations to AI. The findings are being used to determine if additional guidance is needed. SMEs should consider this standard when adopting AI-enabled tools and services.

For the most advanced AI systems, our world-leading AI Security Institute is a centre of UK expertise, advancing our scientific understanding of their capabilities and the associated risks. AISI has already run a large study on backdoor data poisoning, and conducted the largest AI agent red-teaming study to date, identifying tens of thousands of vulnerabilities across sectors including finance, healthcare and customer support. AISI continues to work hand in hand with developers and with the National Cyber Security Centre to make AI protections stronger.

The government has already published a Code of Practice to set the baseline security requirements for AI models and systems, alongside working with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to create a global standard (EN 304 223) that builds on the Code.

This standard is relevant to all organisations and sets out requirements for developers and deployers of AI alongside data custodians. To support organisations, we have contributed to the publication of an implementation guide (TR 104 128) and we are now working to produce a conformity assessment in ETSI (TS 104 216). The government has also recently completed some pilot training workshops with various professions, including small businesses and published the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025-2026 which examined adoption and security approaches by UK organisations to AI. The findings are being used to determine if additional guidance is needed. SMEs should consider this standard when adopting AI-enabled tools and services.

Connected device security requires a layered approach that includes software, hardware and the processes that protect these devices against attack. Manufacturers of smart tech should use the device security principles, produced by the National Cyber Security Centre and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to identify which security mitigations should be included in their devices to protect against common cyber security threats and risks.

There is no single, formally defined, universally binding term called “trusted supplier”. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) uses assurance schemes rather than the term “trusted supplier”. Suppliers are assessed against defined standards and buyers can rely on this assurance as a proxy for trust. Cellular internet of things modules are treated no different from any other technology device in this regard. If the supplier of a cellular internet of things device meets the defined standards and other requirements of the relevant assurance scheme then it will be assured as appropriate.

The UK‑Germany Strategic Science and Technology Partnership was launched alongside the Kensington Treaty in July 2025 to accelerate the development of transformative technologies through closer UK-Germany collaboration. Early outcomes include £6 million joint funding for quantum research and development, investment in applied photonics research in Glasgow to help businesses bring new products to market, and an AI partnership between centres in Edinburgh and Stuttgart to speed up AI adoption in industry and the public sector.

We are fully committed to regular and constructive dialogue with the Devolved Governments on our shared priorities, including the distribution of R&D funding across the UK. Key to this is making sure the benefits of science and innovation are felt across all corners of the country. It is positive to have seen an increase of £142m in UKRI investment across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland between 2021/22 and 2023/24.

R&D funding is partially devolved: Devolved Governments receive funding in their block grants which includes consequentials arising from UKRI allocations made through Research England. Devolved Governments can allocate block grant funding as they choose within devolved policy areas, which include higher education and economic development. This includes the ability to allocate funding to R&D according to their priorities. According to data from the Office for National Statistics, in 2024/25:

• £487m of R&D funding was invested through the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council;
• £150m through the Welsh Government and Medr;
• £100m through the Northern Ireland Executive and the Department for the Economy.

Through the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF), we are also empowering local leaders in 17 regions across the UK to target R&D investment and unleash their full innovation potential. The Government is investing up to £150 million through the LIPF in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland between 2026 and 2031. The Government is considering the future of LIPF in the nations.

We are fully committed to regular and constructive dialogue with the Devolved Governments on our shared priorities, including the distribution of R&D funding across the UK. Key to this is making sure the benefits of science and innovation are felt across all corners of the country. It is positive to have seen an increase of £142m in UKRI investment across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland between 2021/22 and 2023/24.

R&D funding is partially devolved: Devolved Governments receive funding in their block grants which includes consequentials arising from UKRI allocations made through Research England. Devolved Governments can allocate block grant funding as they choose within devolved policy areas, which include higher education and economic development. This includes the ability to allocate funding to R&D according to their priorities. According to data from the Office for National Statistics, in 2024/25:

• £487m of R&D funding was invested through the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council;
• £150m through the Welsh Government and Medr;
• £100m through the Northern Ireland Executive and the Department for the Economy.

Through the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF), we are also empowering local leaders in 17 regions across the UK to target R&D investment and unleash their full innovation potential. The Government is investing up to £150 million through the LIPF in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland between 2026 and 2031. The Government is considering the future of LIPF in the nations.

Women remain underrepresented across the tech sector, with the gap beginning in education, where fewer than 20% of A-level Computer Science entrants are girls.

The Women in Tech Taskforce was established to address the barriers holding women back: to support more women to enter, stay and lead in tech. The Taskforce is currently focused on retention and progression, and is developing policy recommendations in these areas. It will turn to education and career pathways later this year, with recommendations to follow in due course.

The Taskforce will draw on insights from its Call for Evidence and members' expertise in developing recommendations. The Government is also reaching one million pupils through TechYouth, inspiring girls to consider AI and frontier technology careers.

The Government recognises concerns about potentially harmful online trends, including those involving weapons or harmful behaviour.

The Online Safety Act 2023 requires social media and search services to assess and mitigate the risks of illegal activity on their platforms, including taking action against content linked to the unlawful use of weapons or other criminal activity.

Services must also protect children from harmful content. This includes content which encourages dangerous challenges, violence, or other behaviours likely to result in serious harm. Ofcom, as the independent regulator, has strong enforcement powers to hold platforms accountable where they fail to comply.

Assessment and designation of services against the categorisation threshold conditions is a statutory duty for Ofcom. The regulator plans to publish the register of categorised services and to launch consulting on the relevant additional duties in July.

In November 2025, Ofcom published guidance for services on how they can tackle online VAWG on their platforms. The Secretary of State has been clear that platforms should implement this guidance by the end of the year – regardless of how services are categorised under the Online Safety Act. Information on Ofcom’s approach to implementing the Act, including on categorisation, is available here.

Under the Online Safety Act, fines imposed by Ofcom are paid into the Consolidated Fund, in line with standard practice across its regulatory functions. This ensures funds are distributed in accordance with overall government priorities, which may include victim support services.

However, fines are intended to drive compliance, not to act as a funding stream. Their inherently unpredictable nature makes them unsuitable for directly supporting work on violence against women and girls or compensating victims.

Decisions on the use of such funds are for HM Treasury, while the Ministry of Justice retains primary responsibility for victim support and compensation policy in England and Wales.

Government works in partnership with communications providers to ensure that networks remain secure, resilient, and accessible, including during emergencies and service disruption. There are statutory obligations on communications providers to take appropriate and proportionate steps to ensure their networks and services remain available. Communication providers are required to take appropriate measures to prepare for and reduce the reduce the risks of incidents occurring, and Ofcom have published Network and Service Resilience Guidance that sets out expectations on how providers can meet statutory obligations. Communication providers are also required to report significant incidents to Ofcom, who have powers to investigate, rectify and penalise communications providers for any infringement of their duties.

Whilst networks are designed to be resilient, events such as severe weather, power cuts, and technical faults can sometimes cause disruption. In these cases, providers must guarantee access to emergency services for at least one hour during a power outage for customers who rely solely on landlines and communicate clearly with customers about any risks or changes to their service, especially during the move to full fibre from analogue lines. Full fibre tends to be more resilient than other forms of technology.

Under Ofcom’s General Conditions of Entitlement Communication Providers are expected to keep customers up to date on disruption to services and when to expect normal service to resume.

The Online Safety Act imposes a range of duties on user-to-user service providers, including X, requiring them to proactively identify, mitigate and manage risks to users, and to be accountable for the safety of their platforms.

Service providers must proactively mitigate risk of use for illegal activity and must address illegal content when it appears. They must also prevent children from encountering the most harmful content and must implement age-appropriate measures to protect children from other kinds of harmful content.

Ofcom, the independent regulator, has powers to take robust enforcement action where service providers do not comply with Act duties.

The Government is committed to ensuring that any risks from the industry-led migration of the analogue Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to digital Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for everyone across the UK, including in Lewes.

Over 92% of PSTN landlines have already been migrated to VoIP. As of 31 March 2026, fewer than 2.8 million PSTN lines remain operational, down from 35.2 million PSTN lines at the network’s peak.

In March 2026, the Government and industry agreed a new Fixed Telecoms Modernisation Charter to extend safeguards agreed in November 2024 to all future fixed telecoms modernisation programmes to help ensure that all customers are migrated safely.

The Government recognises that high quality digital connectivity is essential for businesses in the West Midlands and across the whole of the UK. Our ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030 and we have a target to deliver nationwide (99%) gigabit broadband coverage by 2032.

The rollout of standalone 5G, is being led by commercial investment from the three Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). All three MNOs have committed to significant investment plans which align with our 2030 ambition, and we continue to work to with the sector to understand what more we can do to stimulate investment in high-quality connectivity and identify (and address) barriers to infrastructure deployment where practical to do so.

Project Gigabit is the Government’s programme to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to UK premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans. Delivery across the West Midlands is primarily being taken forward through several Project Gigabit contracts, including those covering Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire, alongside wider cross-regional interventions to reach remaining homes and businesses.

Based on Ofcom’s Connected Nations reporting, as of January 2026, by aggregating the coverage in the 30 local and unitary authorities in the West Midlands region, we find that 93.6% of the landmass of the West Midlands had 4G geographic coverage from all four mobile network operators (MNO), whilst standalone 5G was available outside 93.2% of premises across the region from at least one MNO. This compares to 84% of the UK landmass having 4G geographic coverage from all four MNOs, and standalone 5G being available outside 93% of UK premises from at least one operator.

For gigabit-capable coverage, we estimate that 90.2% of West Midlands premises has access to gigabit-capable broadband, this is above the UK wide average of 88%. Gigabit-capable broadband coverage specifically to businesses stands at 74.4% in the West Midlands compared to a UK wide figure of 71%. Additionally, some businesses use leased-line services to receive a broadband connection, but the Department does not hold data on the extent to which these services are used.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) supports and encourages the development of researchers’ skills and knowledge at all career stages across all its investments through dedicated skills, talents, and training investments.

The table below shows total annual UKRI spend from 2019-20 to 2024-25. Data relating to capacity-building initiatives is not recorded by UKRI.

Expenditure breakdowns are not available for dementia, cancer, stroke and coronary heart disease research.

The Online Safety Act provides world-leading protections against non-consensual intimate image abuse. The Government strengthened these by introducing a duty requiring platforms to remove NCII within 48 hours of a valid user report.

Ofcom published updated illegal content codes to prevent the re-upload of NCII, going beyond simple takedown. Its Codes of Practice and guidance outline steps providers can take to keep users safe.

The Secretary of State has been clear with platforms that they should implement Ofcom’s guidance to keep women and girls safe online by the end of the year and that this Government will monitor progress closely.

The Online Safety Act provides world-leading protections against non-consensual intimate image abuse. The Government strengthened these by introducing a duty requiring platforms to remove NCII within 48 hours of a valid user report.

Ofcom published updated illegal content codes to prevent the re-upload of NCII, going beyond simple takedown. Its Codes of Practice and guidance outline steps providers can take to keep users safe.

The Secretary of State has been clear with platforms that they should implement Ofcom’s guidance to keep women and girls safe online by the end of the year and that this Government will monitor progress closely.

The Secretary of State has been clear that the government expects platforms to implement Ofcom's guidance by the end of the year and has engaged directly with platforms to communicate this message. Ofcom plans to publish a report on platform's compliance with the guidance and the Secretary of State has encouraged Ofcom to do this as soon as possible.

Ministers have regular meetings with Cabinet colleagues on a range of subjects, including online safety for women and girls.

The Secretary of State has been clear that the government expects platforms to implement Ofcom's guidance by the end of the year and has engaged directly with platforms to communicate this message. Ofcom plans to publish a report on platform's compliance with the guidance and the Secretary of State has encouraged Ofcom to do this as soon as possible.

Ministers have regular meetings with Cabinet colleagues on a range of subjects, including online safety for women and girls.

The Data and AI Ethics Framework provides detailed guidance and a self-assessment for government and public sector teams on how to use data and data-driven technologies responsibly. It bridges the gap between high-level ethical principles and practical actions, considering themes such as transparency, accountability, fairness, societal impact, security and privacy through an ethical lens. It does not replace technical or regulatory guidance in these areas, but instead complements and connects to them.

The AI Knowledge Hub is more relevant to the use of generative AI for the drafting of ministerial advice. Launched in May 2025 in response to a commitment in the AI Opportunities Action Plan, it helps UK government departments make better use of available tools through curated, sector-specific prompts and practical use cases. This includes guidance on prompting for creating draft Ministerial Submissions and states that officials must read through the suggested draft to make sure the answers are accurate and relevant to their policy work, as well as checking that all sources are verified.

According to Ofcom’s Connected Nations Spring update, published on 13 May 2026, as of January 2026, 92% of the Shropshire local authority landmass has 4G geographic coverage from all four mobile network operators (MNO). Standalone 5G is available outside 58% of premises across the local authority from at least one MNO.

Our ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. This ambition includes villages and rural communities as well as towns and cities.

The rollout of higher quality standalone 5G is being led by commercial investment from the three MNOs. All three network operators have committed significant investment plans which align with this Government’s ambition, and through the Mobile Market Review we are looking to better understand how Government can go further in supporting the sector to deliver widespread, high-quality connectivity. The Call for Evidence closed on 5 May, and Government will provide next steps later this year.

We are also addressing barriers to mobile infrastructure deployment including on planning reform in England. We are considering responses to the Government’s recent Call for Evidence and will determine next steps in due course.

The Sovereign AI Fund is designed to strengthen the UK’s capability in strategically important parts of the AI value chain, including compute and infrastructure. Backed by around £500 million, it combines equity investment, access to public compute, R&D funding, procurement pathways, talent support and wider government support to help strategically significant AI companies start, scale and remain anchored in the UK.

The Fund does not seek total self-sufficiency or to turn away from trusted international partners. Its purpose is to increase UK resilience, choice and influence in a global AI economy. Since launching in April, the Fund has already announced 3 direct equity investments in Callosum, Ineffable Intelligence, and Isomorphic Labs, as well as 6 more compute offers. The Fund complements wider Government action to expand public compute and AI infrastructure.

The change to the Project Gigabit contract with CityFibre for Hampshire will result in a reduction of 26,150 premises from the scope of the contract, of which approximately 3,450 are within the East Hampshire constituency. There will be a reduction of approximately £56.1 million in government funding through this contract as a result. Across all of CityFibre’s contracts within England the reduction in government funding will be approximately £420.6 million which will be redeployed into other Project Gigabit projects.

Many of the premises that have been removed from the scope of the CityFibre contracts will now gain gigabit coverage through commercially funded delivery without the need for public subsidy.

For the remaining premises which have been removed from CityFibre’s contracts and are not within the scope of suppliers’ commercial plans, Building Digital UK (BDUK) is working to put in place alternative coverage solutions as soon as possible through Project Gigabit. A market engagement consultation for suppliers was published on 1 June to confirm supplier interest in relation to the premises that still need coverage in the affected areas.

The Online Safety Act takes a proportionate approach to this issue by requiring in-scope services to tackle the most harmful content that is illegal or harmful to children, including where it is AI-generated.

The Government will conduct a full statutory post-implementation review to assess effectiveness expected between 2028 and 2031, once the regime is fully in force. We continue to explore technical solutions to support transparency of AI-generated content, including through the Deepfake Detection Challenge. We will also establish an AI Labelling Taskforce, to put forward proposals on best practice for labelling AI-generated content, and will publish an interim report in autumn.

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is committed to raising consumer awareness of IP crime and infringement and the risks surrounding it.

The new guidance for second-hand shoppers has been developed as part of a wider second-hand shopping campaign in partnership with the second-hand industry, embedding expertise from online resale platforms to enable consumers to make informed decisions and avoid counterfeits on those platforms.

The campaign is currently being rolled out, and the effectiveness of the new guidance will be evaluated over the next three months as part of the IPO’s wider work to reduce demand and change attitudes towards counterfeits.

The Government recognises that publishing research outcomes is vital in sharing knowledge. The different rights and ownership of these will depend on contractual arrangements between researchers, research institutions, and publishers.

The Government has not made an assessment of the potential merits of a secondary publishing right.

Online platforms, including social media, are being exploited by criminals to commit crime. Data from the banking and financial services sector suggests 53% of authorised push payment (APP) fraud cases in 2023 involved social media, messaging and call platforms, 13% auction, purchase and listing platforms, and 12% telecommunications platforms.

The Online Safety Act lists fraud as a priority offence. This means that in-scope social media providers must prevent and minimise fraudulent content from appearing on their services and swiftly remove it if it does. Platforms must also manage the risk their service being used by criminals to commit fraud or other financial crimes.

Tackling fraud is a priority for this Government. We are working closely with industry, law enforcement, and consumer groups to identify and prosecute criminal activity of this nature.

On 5 November 2025, Government published the second Telecommunications Fraud Sector Charter. This includes a unified set of actions for government and industry to help strengthen trust in voice communications and improve the security, traceability and reliability of calls.

On 9 March 2026, the Home Office published its new Fraud Strategy which sets out how the Government will work with our partner organisations to make the UK a much harder place for criminals to operate. As part of the Strategy, the Government has established a new Online Crime Centre: as of April 2026, the police, GCHQ, banks, and telecommunications and tech firms are working in one place to drive the response to online fraud.

Government also works closely with Ofcom, which has a duty to protect consumers and to ensure that UK numbers are not misused. Ofcom has made several changes to help reduce scams, including since January 2025 requiring operators to block landline calls from abroad illegitimately imitating UK numbers.