Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 electrical devices built in the UK are made to high durability standards.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government is committed to ensuring products made in the UK are to a high standard. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is not responsible for device durability standards. The Department for Business and Trade works closely with domestic manufacturers and industry bodies to strengthen standards and support shoppers in identifying high quality UK made products.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to increase the number of science parks in the UK.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government is ensuring that everyone benefits from innovation-led economic growth by supporting clusters of R&D excellence across the UK. As these clusters grow our ambition is that investment into science parks increases in all regions of the UK.
We are investing up to £500 million in the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, for local leaders to grow their high-potential innovation clusters and create jobs. The Local Innovation Partnerships Fund empowers local leaders to target R&D investment to the needs of their areas, including investing in R&D facilities to build regional innovation capability.
A new Mayoral Revolving Growth Fund will give six Mayoral Strategic Authorities in the North and Midlands a devolved pot of funding to address access‑to‑finance barriers, including for the development of commercial scientific infrastructure. Decisions on projects, including support for laboratory space, will rest with the respective authorities. Developers are also able to engage with the National Wealth Fund on potential financing for life science laboratory space.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of economic deprivation on digital exclusion.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world – helping families save money, get a better job, and access services like the NHS more easily.
But we know some people face barriers - and digital exclusion is more prominent amongst those of low income. Among those aged 16 or above, 17% of those that live in a household with an income below £10.4k did not have home internet access compared to 1% of those who live in a household with an income of £26k or above. That’s why we published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, and why we’re now delivering the foundations.
We launched the £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, helping more people across the UK get the access, skills and confidence to get online. Earlier this month, major telecoms providers signed a new charter to end unexpected mid-contract price rises and make social tariffs easier to access, helping millions manage living costs. We are also getting more free devices in the hands of those that need them through government and industry device donation efforts.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 support elderly people with technology.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world – helping families save money, get a better job, and access services like the NHS more easily.
But we know some people face real barriers and older people are more likely to be offline: data from 2025 shows that 13% of adults aged 65+ did not have home internet access, compared to 3% of adults aged 16-64.
That’s why we published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan and launched the £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund - helping more people, including older people, across the UK get the access, skills and confidence to get online. We are also committed to making digital public services simple and accessible for everyone, by working on renewed digital standards for essential public services and stronger accountability, alongside well‑supported offline routes.
In February, major telecoms providers signed a new charter to end unexpected mid-contract price rises and make social tariffs easier to access, helping millions manage living costs.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent estimate she has made of the level of digital exclusion in the UK.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world – helping families save money, get a better job, and access services like the NHS more easily.
But we know some people face real barriers. In 2025, 5% of UK adults were offline and many homes don’t have a suitable device: 6% of UK households didn’t have a smartphone, and 26% didn’t have a laptop. Whilst 8% of adults in the UK lack the essential digital skills for life.
That's why we published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, and why we’re now delivering the foundations: better connectivity with a range of affordable options, direct support to build digital access, skills and confidence in communities across the UK, and more devices reaching people who need them. The Government is clear that everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world – and more is needed to ensure this.
Findings from DSIT’s Public Engagement Survey, which will be published in summer 2026, will provide updated, high-quality evidence on the incidence and drivers of digital exclusion across the UK.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 reduce digital exclusion.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world – helping families save money, get a better job, and access services like the NHS more easily.
But we know some people face real barriers. In 2025, 5% of UK adults were offline and many homes don’t have a suitable device: 6% of UK households didn’t have a smartphone, and 26% didn’t have a laptop. Whilst 8% of adults in the UK lack the essential digital skills for life.
That's why we published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, and why we’re now delivering the foundations: better connectivity with a range of affordable options, direct support to build digital access, skills and confidence in communities across the UK, and more devices reaching people who need them. The Government is clear that everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world – and more is needed to ensure this.
Findings from DSIT’s Public Engagement Survey, which will be published in summer 2026, will provide updated, high-quality evidence on the incidence and drivers of digital exclusion across the UK.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much their Department has spent on (a) advertising and (b) marketing in each of the last three years.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The advertising and marketing spend will be as follows, ‘24-25 £3m (Core & Agencies), 23-24 restated figures £6m (Core & Agencies) & 22-23 restated figures £1m (Core & Agencies).’ All figures can be found in the annual reports.
Core and Agencies* - The core department, Building Digital UK, and UK Space Agency.
22/23 | 23/24 | 24/25 |
£1m Core | £6m Core | £3m Core |
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
In the past year, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has actively supported and hosted two internship schemes.
DSIT welcomed 35 interns through the Summer Internship Programme (SIP) and 17 candidates via the Autism Exchange Internship Programme (AEIP). These schemes are specifically designed to provide work experience to individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those who are neurodivergent, from ethnic minority communities or from socioeconomically disadvantaged communities.
Several of our interns were also offered extended placements following their initial internships, reflecting our department’s commitment to providing long term development opportunities. Additionally, all our SIP interns were paired with DSIT Fast Streamers who mentored them throughout their placements, supporting their growth and guiding them through the Fast Pass process into the Civil Service Fast Stream.
The AEIP, delivered in partnership with Ambitious about Autism, has always been a cornerstone of DSIT’s inclusive internship offer. The 2025 cohort were provided with tailored onboarding and workplace adjustments support, including communication guidance for line managers to ensure a positive and accessible experience.
These programmes reflect DSIT’s ongoing efforts to foster a more inclusive workforce and to create pathways into government careers for individuals who may face systemic barriers to employment. The department remains committed to exploring and implementing alternative entry routes that continue to prioritise diversity and inclusion.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions her Department has had with representatives from (a) YouTube and (b) other social media platforms on tackling dangerous (i) DIY, (ii) lifestyle and (iii) recipe content on their platforms.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Online Safety Act is being implemented by this government and introduced measures to tackle illegal content online and harmful content for children.
The child safety duties in the Act are clear on protecting children from harmful content – including dangerous substances and stunts.
Ofcom, who are responsible for enforcing the Act, engage regularly with companies as YouTube. Ministers and officials regularly engage with stakeholders, including Ofcom and social media companies, to strengthen online safety for children and adults.
We are committed to the Act and will not hesitate to go further to protect people, particularly children, where we need to.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions her Department has had with representatives from YouTube on tackling inappropriate advertising on its platform.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Online Safety Act is being implemented by this government and introduced measures to tackle illegal content online and harmful content for children.
The child safety duties in the Act are clear on protecting children from harmful content – including dangerous substances and stunts.
Ofcom, who are responsible for enforcing the Act, engage regularly with companies as YouTube. Ministers and officials regularly engage with stakeholders, including Ofcom and social media companies, to strengthen online safety for children and adults.
We are committed to the Act and will not hesitate to go further to protect people, particularly children, where we need to.