Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of increasing Ofcom's powers under the Online Safety Act to adequately tackle disinformation and misinformation.

The Online Safety Act provides a strong, proportionate framework for tackling online mis/disinformation. Ofcom has robust powers to hold companies to account if they fail to meet their duties in the act, including significant fines and, in the most serious cases, business disruption measures.

Our immediate focus is implementing the Act quickly and effectively so Ofcom can fully use the powers already provided. However, I have been clear that if gaps in the Act remain, I will not hesitate to go further.