Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department have made on the potential impact of social media usage on the levels of sporting activities undertaken by children since 2020.

Research by the online safety regulator Ofcom found that children aged 8-14 average 3 hours a day online. Sport England report that more than 4 in 5 children participated in sporting activities each week.

On 20 January, the government announced a short, swift consultation on further measures to keep children safe online, accompanied by a national conversation. It will seek views on a range of measures, including whether there should be curfews overnight or breaks to stops excessive use or doom scrolling.