Asked by: Anthony Mangnall (Conservative - Totnes)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2024 to Question 21381 on Telemedicine: Older People, whether her Department undertook an economic impact assessment of Public Switched Telephone Network migration.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ofcom and DSIT have not conducted an economic impact assessment for the transition to digital landline services. The decision to make this transition was made by telecoms companies, not the Government.
The UK’s telecoms regulator released its positioning statement in 2019 which reviewed various regulatory considerations. Ofcom is responsible for the monitoring process of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) migration. Ofcom in its statement captured issues related to consumer impact, downstream service providers, and the wider impact on the future of fixed telephone services. Ofcom and DSIT recognise the necessity in upgrading the PSTN. The network is increasingly unreliable and prone to failure; therefore, it is imperative for the PSTN to undergo the necessary upgrades to keep pace with modern-use of telecommunications services.
While this is an industry-led process, Ofcom and Government are working together to monitor how Communication Providers approach the migration, with the protection of vulnerable customers being the top priority.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Whitchurch (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of the population they estimate will be digitally literate by 2030.
Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This Government has been clear that ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital age is a key priority. The 2023 Consumer Digital Index found that 92% of UK adults have the ‘Essential Digital Skills for Life’.
The National Curriculum subject of computing ensures that pupils become digitally literate so that they are able to use, express themselves and develop their ideas through information and communication technology, at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world. Computing is compulsory in all Local Authority maintained schools across Key Stages 1 to 4.
Media literacy is also included in the citizenship curriculum which is compulsory for all maintained secondary schools. Furthermore, under our ambitious Online Media Literacy Strategy, we have provided almost £2.5million in grant funding for projects designed to build the media literacy and critical thinking skills for users of all ages.
The government has also introduced a digital skills entitlement in August 2020 for adults with no or low digital skills to undertake specified digital qualifications, up to Level 1, free of charge. Such qualifications enable people to gain the skills needed to participate in modern life, access further study, and find and progress in work.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the AI Safety Institute plans to carry out testing on the societal impacts of AI on elections.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The AI Safety Institute has responsibility for developing and conducting evaluations on advanced AI systems, including assessing potentially harmful capabilities. As part of this, it will evaluate the direct impact of advanced AI systems on individuals and society - including how people are affected by interacting with these systems and the ways AI systems are being used in both private and professional contexts. Part of this work will explore the impacts of frontier AI on democracy, including elections. The Institute is collaborating on this with key partners in the UK ecosystem – initially with the Alan Turing Institute.
The Government takes the integrity and security of our democratic processes very seriously and is working to ensure we are ready to respond to the full range of threats to our democratic processes, including through the Defending Democracy Taskforce.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 2 May 2024 to Question 24088 on Semiconductors: Infrastructure, if she will respond to the recommendations of the UK Semiconductor Infrastructure Initiative feasibility study, published in 2023; and if will publish that response.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The UK has a thriving R&D innovation semiconductor ecosystem and the Government’s National Semiconductor Strategy sets out our ambitious vision for the UK’s sector.
The Government has commissioned the UK Semiconductor Infrastructure Initiative feasibility study to increase access for companies to the research infrastructure they need to support commercialisation.
The feasibility study was recently completed, and the Government is considering its analysis.
Asked by: Lord Mendelsohn (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish (1) their original investment case, including financial projections, for the purchase of a $500 million stake in US satellite technology company OneWeb in 2020; and (2) an updated business case and financial projections for their investment in the company.
Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As was the case under previous governments, any investment case informing Government's decision to invest in OneWeb, including financial projections, remains commercially sensitive. As a publicly traded company, Eutelsat Group regularly publishes its financial results, including market guidance on their outlook and financial objectives, and the latest were published on 16 February 2024.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle inequalities in access to digital technologies in (a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Preston; and what estimate she has made of the number of households without internet access in (i) the North West, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) Preston.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government has been clear that no one should be left behind in the digital age. We will take steps to ensure support for the most urgent priorities. For example, we are investing £5 billion through Project Gigabit to bring gigabit-capable broadband to hard-to-reach communities.
According to thinkbroadband.com, only 0.5% of premises in the North-West, 0.6% in Lancashire, and less than 0.1% in Preston are unable to access a decent broadband connection of 10Mbps download, 1Mbps upload. These premises may be able to request an improved connection through the Broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) if their current connection falls below these speeds.
Asked by: Lord Mendelsohn (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government, according to their business plan justifying their investment in US satellite technology company OneWeb in 2020, what projection they made of the value of the company at the end of 2024.
Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As was the case under previous governments, any investment case informing Government's decision to invest in OneWeb, including financial projections, remains commercially sensitive. As a publicly traded company, Eutelsat Group regularly publishes its financial results, including market guidance on their outlook and financial objectives, and the latest were published on 16 February 2024.
Asked by: Lord Mendelsohn (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their (1) current, and (2) expected future, equity stake in US satellite technology company Eutelsat OneWeb (formerly OneWeb).
Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Eutelsat OneWeb is a UK-based subsidiary of Eutelsat Group. The Government has no plans to change its 10.89% shareholding in Eutelsat Group at this time.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 1 May 2024 to Question 23701 on Voice over Internet Protocol: Local Government, which local authorities her Department has had discussions with; and on what dates those discussions took place.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department has previously engaged with Local Authorities on this issue via the Local Government Association. This engagement is ongoing and is in addition to frequent meetings with other relevant stakeholders, including industry and the signatories of the Charter.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, which stakeholders her Department has had discussions with on the Telecare National Action Plan.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department has engaged with key stakeholders on the Telecare National Action Plan, including the telecoms sector, telecare sector, the independent telecoms regulator Ofcom, the third sector – including Which?, Citizen's Advice, and Silver Voices - and other Government departments.