Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the recent 5CA data breach on protecting consumers online.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As the UK's independent regulator for data protection, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is responsible for monitoring compliance with the UK's data protection legislation and investigating complaints regarding breaches of the legislation. The ICO is investigating a data breach following a report by Discord.
The ICO provides guidance for the public on data protection on its website. Anyone concerned about the impact of the breach could also contact the ICO for further advice, by telephone on 0303 123 1113 and through its website: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/.
Businesses can help prevent data breaches by improving their cyber resilience using the guidance and tools on offer from the government. This includes the new Cyber Action Toolkit for small businesses, the highly effective Cyber Essentials scheme which prevents common cyber-attacks, and the Cyber Governance Code of Practice to help boards and directors manage digital risks.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with which countries does the UK operate international science partnership funds; and how much and what proportion of the funding for the partnership with Japan is from (a) public and (b) private sources and (i) domestic and (ii) foreign contributors.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The International Science Partnership Fund currently operates in:
United States of America, Japan, Canada, India, South Korea, Switzerland, Australia, Germany, Israel, Taiwan, China, Ireland, France, Netherlands, New Zealand, Denmark, and Latvia (non-ODA)
South Africa, Kenya, Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Philippines, Vietnam, Turkey, and Ghana (ODA)
Information on spend in Japan is not provided under the exemptions in the Ministerial Code that cover information that is not currently held and where there would be a disproportionate cost to gaining it.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department's joint press release entitled Creative and AI sectors kick-off next steps in finding solutions to AI and copyright, published 16 July 2025, whether she will (a) publish the terms of reference for the expert working groups on AI and copyright and (b) set out (i) the expected number of meetings for each group and (ii) how she plans to update Rt hon. and hon. Members on the groups' outputs; and what consideration she made of the balance between UK based and non-UK based organisations in determining the membership of the groups.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We are establishing technical working groups to inform our approach to copyright and AI. They will be designed to bring together a range of experts and stakeholders across key issues, including transparency and technical standards. The terms of reference will be published in due course. This will set out the meeting structure for the technical working groups.
We will publish a progress update before the end of the year, which will be informed by findings from the technical working groups.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure social media companies protect consumers from illegal content advertising weight loss jabs.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Online Safety Act gives online platforms duties to tackle illegal content and activity on their services. This includes content advertising illegal sales of drugs. Ofcom is the regulator for this regime, and it sets out steps that providers can take to comply with their duties. Ofcom has strong powers to enforce against platforms that fail to fulfil their duties to protect users from illegal content.
The government is clear that people should only purchase medicines and medical products through legitimate, regulated channels. Anyone with weight or health concerns should consult their GP or a qualified healthcare professional who can provide safe, appropriate treatment options.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential economic merits of increasing levels of transparency over copyrighted works that are being used by generative AI developers to (a) train and (b) improve the performance of their models.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government recently consulted on several topics relating to the interaction between copyright and artificial intelligence (AI), including seeking views on increasing levels of transparency over the use of copyright material in AI model development.
The Government’s priority now is to consider all responses to the consultation, to help inform next steps. Alongside this we launched expert working groups in July, bringing together representatives of the creative, media and AI sectors, and convened a parliamentary working group on the issue.
The Government will continue to engage extensively on this issue, and its proposals will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what plans she has to ensure that the Government’s expert working groups on AI and copyright help increase levels of transparency that copyright holders have over the use of their copyrighted material as inputs for (a) training and (b) improving the performance of AI models.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We are establishing technical working groups to inform our approach to copyright and AI. They will be designed to bring together both British and global companies, alongside voices beyond the AI and creative sectors. A range of issues will be discussed, including transparency in the development and deployment of AI in the UK. The terms of reference will be published in due course.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with science and discovery centres on their financial resilience since the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government recognises the important role these centres play in engaging the public with science and inspiring young people. As set out in the answer of 29 October 2025 to Question 84033, Minister Vallance has followed up with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to explore a coordinated approach to supporting these centres. I refer my honourable friend to that answer for further detail.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department's joint press release entitled Creative and AI sectors kick-off next steps in finding solutions to AI and copyright, published 16 July 2025, whether the terms of reference for the government’s expert working groups on AI and copyright will include reviewing the transparency of inputs used by generative AI firms to (a) train and (b) improve the performance of their models.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We are establishing technical working groups to inform our approach to copyright and AI. They will be designed to bring together both British and global companies, alongside voices beyond the AI and creative sectors. A range of issues will be discussed, including transparency in the development and deployment of AI in the UK. The terms of reference will be published in due course.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department's joint press release entitled Creative and AI sectors kick-off next steps in finding solutions to AI and copyright, published 16 July 2025, whether the expert working groups on AI and copyright will have a specific remit to assess the transparency requirements for data used to (a) train and (b) ground generative AI models.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We are establishing technical working groups to inform our approach to copyright and AI. They will be designed to bring together both British and global companies, alongside voices beyond the AI and creative sectors. A range of issues will be discussed, including transparency in the development and deployment of AI in the UK. The terms of reference will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Lebedev (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support and resources they plan to provide to support research and development for in vitro gametogenesis, and the wider reproductive technologies industry.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government, through UK Research and Innovation’s Medical Research Council (MRC), supports a broad range of biomedical research, including in reproductive health, developmental biology and genetics. MRC’s applicant-led funding opportunities are open to proposals within its remit. MRC also funds large-scale, challenge-led transformative research through its Institutes and Centres of Research Excellence. All research is subject to appropriate ethical review.