Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help increase opportunities for innovation in the economy.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government recognises that innovation is a key driver of long-term economic growth, higher productivity and improved living standards.

Public investment in research and development (R&D) will rise to £22.6 billion per year by 2029-30, supporting innovation across the government’s eight Industrial Strategy priority sectors.

The Government is also transforming the resources and capabilities of the British Business Bank, delivering a two-thirds increase in support for UK innovative businesses and increasing its overall financial capacity to £25.6 billion. With additional capital and greater flexibilities, the BBB will be able to continue delivering flagship programmes such as Start-Up Loans and the Nations and Regions Investment Fund.

To further incentivise innovation, the Government is maintaining generous rates in both the merged R&D Expenditure Credit (RDEC) scheme and the Enhanced Support for R&D Intensive SMEs. The RDEC rate of 20% represents the joint highest uncapped headline rate of R&D tax relief in the G7 for large companies. The R&D reliefs will support an estimated £56 billion of business R&D expenditure a year by 2029-30.

The Digital and Technologies sector plan sets out a vision for the UK to be one of the best places in the world for fast-growing technology businesses. In addition, the Government has accepted and is implementing all 50 recommendations of the AI Opportunities Action Plan, unlocking the full potential of AI.

The Digital and Technologies Sector Plan can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-and-technologies-sector-plan

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that parents and carers understand the new protections for children under the Online Safety Act 2023.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The government recognises the vital role parents and carers play in supporting children’s online safety. Under the Online Safety Act (the ‘Act’), as of July, platforms are now required to protect children from harmful content and provide age-appropriate experiences. The government will continue to build on the Act to ensure digital environments are safe for children.

Additionally, Ofcom have released a guide for parents outlining how their new measures can help children to be safer online. This includes tips on what parents can do to protect their children online and links to a range of helpful resources from other organisations.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Online Safety Act 2023 for reducing children’s exposure to harmful online content.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Since the child safety duties came into force in July, the way children experience the internet has fundamentally changed. Services are now required to protect children from both illegal and legal but nonetheless harmful content and provide age-appropriate experiences for them.

Ofcom has robust enforcement powers for platforms failing to fulfil these duties and is already exercising these powers.

Over 6000 services have implemented highly effective age assurance to prevent children from seeing the most harmful types of content; improving protections for millions of children online.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential role of new technologies in reducing the use of animals in scientific research.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government is committed to the development of alternatives to using animals in science and will publish a strategy to support their adoption. UK Research and Innovation supports new technologies and approaches that replace animal use in research, including organ-on-a-chip, functional genomics and computer modelling. The impact of individual technical advancements is a matter for individual regulators to consider. The Government’s strategy on this will facilitate the inclusion and adoption of alternative methods in these regulatory contexts.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to phase out the use of animals in scientific research.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Labour Manifesto commits to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal. The Government invests £10m annually in the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) to accelerate the development and adoption of 3Rs approaches. A significant amount of research funding in the UK also goes to underpinning technologies that have the potential to deliver the 3Rs, driving forward innovation.

The government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to reduce digital exclusion in Beckenham and Penge constituency.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

We know that digital exclusion is a complex issue, and that a reported 6% of residents in the Outer London - South area do not use the internet. That is why we launched the Digital Inclusion Action Plan which sets out the first five actions we are taking over the next year to boost digital inclusion in every corner of the UK, including in Beckenham and Penge.

They will be targeted at local initiatives for boosting digital skills and confidence, widening access to devices and connectivity, and getting support to people in their own communities so everyone can reap the benefits of technology. One of these actions was to launch the £9.5mn Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund to support and expand local community initiatives to get people online, which we did in August.