Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to increase investment in cyber security research to protect UK businesses and public services.

The government - in partnership with industry and academia - carries out a wide range of research to support our objectives on cyber security and protect the public and businesses. This includes the annual Cyber Security Breaches Survey which details the frequency and impact of cyber breaches attacks on businesses, charities and educational institutions; a range of studies examining the cyber risks and opportunities relating to new and emerging technologies; and research by the AI Security Institute into the cyber security risks and capabilities of advanced AI systems. Our new TechExpert programme will support 500 domestic doctoral students conducting research in frontier technology sectors, including cyber security. The forthcoming National Cyber Action Plan will set out further details of how the government will respond to the growing cyber threat and work with industry to raise cyber resilience levels across the economy.