Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, further to the Online Safety Act 2023, what additional steps she plans to take to help tackle online disinformation and misinformation.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Online Safety Act will be our key tool in combatting the most egregious forms of online mis- and disinformation but Government action doesn’t stop there.
In addition, we are educating and empowering users through our work on media literacy, responding to information threats to our democracy via the Defending Democracy Taskforce, and analysing attempts to artificially manipulate the online information environment through the work of the National Security Online Information Team.
I regularly meet with major platforms to discuss these issues and would be very happy to update him on recent progress that has been made.
Asked by: Stephen Hammond (Conservative - Wimbledon)
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 implement the National Semiconductor Strategy.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Since publishing our strategy, we have made excellent progress to grow our domestic sector, improve our supply chain resilience and protect our national security.
We have launched the Semiconductor Advisory Panel, an incubator pilot programme, ChipStart UK, joined the EU Chips Joint Undertaking, agreed an ambitious partnership with Japan and secured commitments to work more closely with the US and the Republic of Korea.
We are on track to invest £240 million by April 2025.
It should be further noted that this government has invested more into priority technologies like semiconductors than any government in history.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham, Hodge Hill)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what role the National Cyber Security Centre plays in facilitating export controls to prevent the proliferation of sensitive technology in the areas of (a) artificial intelligence, (b) quantum computing, (c) biometric tools and data and (d) intangible technology transfers.
Answered by Alan Mak - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
The National Cyber Security Centre is HM Government’s national technical authority for information security and advises the Export Control Joint Unit, in the Department for Business and Trade, on export licence applications for goods involving sensitive communications or computer technology.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham, Hodge Hill)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of export controls on cyber-surveillance tools.
Answered by Alan Mak - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
The UK already controls the export of a range of cyber-surveillance tools. Export licence applications for such items are rigorously assessed against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria taking full account of risks to national security and human rights. The UK Government continues to work through the international export control regimes to ensure these controls remain up-to-date.
In assessing licences involving sensitive communications technology, the Export Control Joint Unit also takes advice from HM Government’s National Cyber Security Centre.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and West Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to (a) promote better awareness within the NHS of the symptoms of Lyme disease and (b) speed up (i) testing and (ii) analysis of test results for Lyme disease.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) Clinical Knowledge Summaries (CKS) are specifically aimed at general practices (GPs), and cover the availability of testing services. The entomology group in the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) also has a tick awareness scheme, which sends out information on avoiding tick bites in a spring campaign, and supports local authorities in areas with a high prevalence of Lyme disease. Further information on Lyme disease, access to testing, and the NICE’s CKS’ is available respectively at the links below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/lyme-disease-guidance-data-and-analysis
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng95
https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/lyme-disease/management/management/
All confirmatory testing in England is performed by the Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory (RIPL). Delays may occur in the referring laboratory when submitting the sample, during testing at the RIPL, or when accessing the results, which are sent back electronically, before being passed onto GPs. Only the RIPL is within the UKHSA’s control, and the RIPL is planning to introduce new technology to speed up tests for neuroborreliosis.
National data analysis is released through the Fingertips system, which is regularly updated. The annual number of cases of Lyme disease varies from year to year, depending on weather conditions in the Lyme season, the effects of weather and human activities on animals that harbor the disease, and the tick population. Further information on the Fingertips system is available at the following link:
https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/health-protection/data
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average number of people employed to the Advanced Materials Programme at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory was in each year since 2019.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Dstl works with industry, academia and Government to make sure the UK has the right defence science and technology capabilities, and to deliver work for our customers in the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and across Government. Dstl provides summary information on its Science and Technology Programmes on its website to inform the public of the nature of the work it is undertaking.
Dstl’s structure, and the wide range of expertise within the organisation, allows expertise to be brought in, as required, to support the dedicated programme technical teams deliver its S&T Programmes.
Whilst information relating to Dstl’s workforce is published annually in its Annual Report and Accounts, detailed FTE staffing details in respect of named Programmes cannot be provided in the interests of National Security.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average number of people employed to the Air Systems Programme at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory was in each year since 2019.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Dstl works with industry, academia and Government to make sure the UK has the right defence science and technology capabilities, and to deliver work for our customers in the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and across Government. Dstl provides summary information on its Science and Technology Programmes on its website to inform the public of the nature of the work it is undertaking.
Dstl’s structure, and the wide range of expertise within the organisation, allows expertise to be brought in, as required, to support the dedicated programme technical teams deliver its S&T Programmes.
Whilst information relating to Dstl’s workforce is published annually in its Annual Report and Accounts, detailed FTE staffing details in respect of named Programmes cannot be provided in the interests of National Security.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average number of people employed to the Autonomy Programme at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory was in each year since 2019.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Dstl works with industry, academia and Government to make sure the UK has the right defence science and technology capabilities, and to deliver work for our customers in the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and across Government. Dstl provides summary information on its Science and Technology Programmes on its website to inform the public of the nature of the work it is undertaking.
Dstl’s structure, and the wide range of expertise within the organisation, allows expertise to be brought in, as required, to support the dedicated programme technical teams deliver its S&T Programmes.
Whilst information relating to Dstl’s workforce is published annually in its Annual Report and Accounts, detailed FTE staffing details in respect of named Programmes cannot be provided in the interests of National Security.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average number of people employed to the AI Programme at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory was in each year since 2019.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Dstl works with industry, academia and Government to make sure the UK has the right defence science and technology capabilities, and to deliver work for our customers in the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and across Government. Dstl provides summary information on its Science and Technology Programmes on its website to inform the public of the nature of the work it is undertaking.
Dstl’s structure, and the wide range of expertise within the organisation, allows expertise to be brought in, as required, to support the dedicated programme technical teams deliver its S&T Programmes.
Whilst information relating to Dstl’s workforce is published annually in its Annual Report and Accounts, detailed FTE staffing details in respect of named Programmes cannot be provided in the interests of National Security.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average number of people employed to the Chemical Biological and Radiological Defence Programme at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory was in each year since 2019.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Dstl works with industry, academia and Government to make sure the UK has the right defence science and technology capabilities, and to deliver work for our customers in the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and across Government. Dstl provides summary information on its Science and Technology Programmes on its website to inform the public of the nature of the work it is undertaking.
Dstl’s structure, and the wide range of expertise within the organisation, allows expertise to be brought in, as required, to support the dedicated programme technical teams deliver its S&T Programmes.
Whilst information relating to Dstl’s workforce is published annually in its Annual Report and Accounts, detailed FTE staffing details in respect of named Programmes cannot be provided in the interests of National Security.