Broadband Connectivity Emma Foody (Cramlington and Killingworth)
(Lab/Co-op) 1. What progress he has made on improving broadband
connectivity.(900694) The Secretary of State for Science,
Innovation and Technology (Peter Kyle) More than 85% of UK premises
can now access a gigabit-capable broadband connection. Through
Project Gigabit, more than a dozen suppliers are delivering
contracts to bring fast, reliable broadband to more than 1 million
more homes and...Request free trial
Broadband Connectivity
(Cramlington and Killingworth)
(Lab/Co-op)
1. What progress he has made on improving broadband
connectivity.(900694)
The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
()
More than 85% of UK premises can now access a gigabit-capable
broadband connection. Through Project Gigabit, more than a dozen
suppliers are delivering contracts to bring fast, reliable
broadband to more than 1 million more homes and businesses across
the country. My team are making good progress and pushing forward
with further plans to improve digital connectivity in
hard-to-reach communities that would otherwise be missing
out.
Access to reliable broadband is essential to residents across my
constituency, but for those who fall just outside commercial
full-fibre broadband deployment areas, it remains a real issue
that impacts their ability to work and study. What further action
can the Government take to ensure that residents falling just
outside current roll-out areas are not left behind?
My hon. Friend is a good advocate for her new constituency. I
want everyone to understand that this new Department is not far
removed from people's lives, because we represent areas of
technology all the way from space to digital infrastructure. We
realise that every aspect of the Department's work is connected
to human beings trying to move forward and get on in life, and
nowhere is that more important than in their ability to express
their lives online. I can reassure her that we are ensuring that
the market for digital provision is a functioning market that
delivers for her constituents. In areas where the market is not
as full as we would like, market providers need to work together,
to ensure that all residents across her constituency have the
connectivity they deserve.
(Faversham and Mid Kent)
(Con)
My constituents in Throwley and Wichling have been battling for
high-speed broadband. We thought we had it over the line, but in
a recent telephone conversation Building Digital UK said that it
was still to be confirmed. Would the Secretary of State be
willing to meet me to discuss how we can ensure that those
communities do not miss out again?
Hon. Members
Go on!
I can hear encouraging sounds from the hon. Lady's colleagues
asking for that meeting. Let me say at the outset that this
Department wants to engage with everyone—[Hon. Members: “Hear,
hear.”] I haven't finished yet. We want to ensure that everyone
in every constituency has full access to the connectivity that
they need. With that in mind, the Minister responsible for the
roll-out of these services will meet officials to ensure that the
hon. Lady is given the attention that her constituents
deserve.
Mr Speaker
I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.
(Harpenden and
Berkhamsted) (LD)
People and businesses in my constituency, like many elsewhere,
are plagued with patchy access. Andy from Wheathampstead has
found that the only way he can move on to working from home and
running a business is to have expensive satellite broadband. Will
the Secretary of State commit to ensuring that every home and
business has access to gigabit broadband in rural and remote
communities, and will he also ensure that there are bespoke
solutions so that no home or business is left out?
Our manifesto commitment is to get to 99% coverage by 2030, and
that is something we are determined to do. The programme run by
BDUK for shared rural networks is technology-neutral. Along with
the Minister responsible, I am encouraging BDUK as fulsomely as I
can to ensure that every single technology emerging, as well as
existing, is put to good use in that endeavour.
Life Sciences: Stevenage
(Stevenage) (Lab)
2. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support the
life sciences sector in Stevenage constituency.(900695)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science,
Innovation and Technology ()
My hon. Friend takes every opportunity to raise this subject. He
will be happy to learn that the Government have a clear plan for
supporting the life sciences sector, as set out in our life
sciences plan. Stevenage has a thriving life sciences community:
it is home to GSK, Autolus and a growing number of biotech
companies. We are continuing to encourage companies to expand
their footprint in the area, supported by the cell and gene
therapy catapult, which operates the manufacturing innovation
centre, and the skills and training laboratories.
I am proud that my constituency is a top location for life
sciences companies to develop cutting-edge technologies. One of
them, BioOrbit, which is hosted by Airbus Defence and Space in
Stevenage through its small and medium-sized enterprises
accelerator programme, is building a pharmaceuticals factory in
space to leverage the benefits of microgravity for large-scale
administration of cancer treatments. Another UK prime company,
GSK, hosts more than 40 SMEs. Does my hon. Friend agree that we
need to do all we can to support innovative SMEs in the life
sciences and space sectors?
My hon. Friend rightly acknowledges that Stevenage is a leading
hub for life sciences companies to develop and commercialise
cutting-edge therapeutics. GSK and Airbus are shining examples of
UK innovation at work. Earlier this week we published the
industrial strategy Green Paper to drive long-term, sustainable,
inclusive and secure growth, and to secure investment in crucial
sectors of the economy, including life sciences. There is an
opportunity to renew the UK's leadership in life sciences through
bold innovation and collective partnerships with the sector, to
build an NHS that is fit for the future and to drive economic
growth across the regions of the UK.
(Bognor Regis and
Littlehampton) (Con)
Following the successful investment in Rolls-Royce's technology
and logistics centre, what is the Minister doing to get more
investment into my Bognor Regis and Littlehampton
constituency?
Mr Speaker
I am not sure that Rolls-Royce fits into a
question on life sciences. Does the Minister have an answer?
I thank the hon. Member for her question. She will have seen from
the investment summit earlier this week that there is huge
interest from a number of companies in investing in the UK, and
there is huge support from this Government for those companies
that wish to invest.
Mobile Phone Reception: Bridgwater
Sir Ashley (Bridgwater) (Con)
3. What steps his Department is taking to enhance mobile phone
reception in the Bridgwater constituency.(900696)
The Minister for Data Protection and Telecoms ()
The most recent statistics, which are available for the old shape
of the hon. Gentleman's constituency, suggest that 97% of
properties there have 4G connection. However, I am not sure that
the statistics reflect the lived experience of most people in his
constituency—or, I suspect, any other constituency in the land.
That is not good enough, which is why our ambition is for all
populated areas to have stand-alone 5G by 2030.
Sir
I am grateful to the Minister for his answer. Bridgwater has a
mixture of urban and rural areas, and many of my constituents in
the rural parts complain of almost non-existent signals. The O2
signal in Burnham-on-Sea is non-existent. In Pawlett, the
Vodafone and EE signals are non-existent. In Chedzoy, the EE
signal is non-existent. [Interruption.] Can he confirm that the
Government intend to continue funding the shared rural network,
so that we can improve coverage for all our constituents?
Well, I note that the mobile signal seems to be working in here,
which is unusual for the rest of the country. We have to get this
right, because people cannot live without a proper mobile signal.
It is essential for people's lives, their health and their
ability to run a business, and we are determined to put things
right. In direct answer to the hon. Gentleman's question, yes, we
will continue to fund the shared rural network.
Ms (Carlisle) (Lab)
In constituencies such as Bridgwater and Carlisle, poor mobile
coverage forces people to rely on their fixed-line services. Does
the Minister share my concern that the switch-off of the public
switched telephone network will leave constituents unable to
access 999 services in the event of an emergency?
I welcome my hon. Friend to her place. She makes a really good
point: as we take away the copper lines and move over to the new
technology, which we need to do, it is absolutely essential that
we ensure there is a safe transition, even if it is only for
people who have telecare devices on which they rely for their own
safety—I am sure we all have relatives who have one of those. I
have already met all the operators, and I am determined to crack
the whip on this issue.
Mr Speaker
I call Ayoub Khan—not here.
Research and Development
(Gateshead Central and
Whickham) (Lab)
5. What steps he is taking to help improve domestic research and
development capabilities.(900698)
The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
()
The UK's R&D system is a central strength and vital for the
future prosperity and wellbeing of our citizens. We are
recognised for the strengths of our universities system and
research base, and we are investing through UK Research and
Innovation to continuously improve our R&D capabilities. In
July we launched five new quantum technology hubs, which are
delivered by UKRI and backed by over £100 million-worth of
Government funding. This will ensure that the British people
benefit from the potential of quantum technologies in a range of
areas, from healthcare and computing to national security and
critical infra- structure alike.
Turbo Power Systems in my constituency is a great example of a
global company built on research and development but with proud
local roots. Would the Secretary of State be happy to visit it,
as I have, to see its fantastic work?
Of course, I look forward to visiting Turbo Power Systems the
next time I am in the region and seeing the amazing work it does.
It is contributing to one of the key missions of this Government,
which is to get to clean superpower status by 2030, and I look
forward to seeing what it is doing to make that a reality.
(Harrogate and Knaresborough)
(LD)
I recently visited Yorkshire Cancer Research in my constituency.
It is coming up to 100 years since it was founded, and it has
created amazing drugs, such as tamoxifen, to extend people's
lives and help them fight cancer. We know that less than 5% of
medical research investment is spent on R&D in Yorkshire.
Given that we have 8% of the population, what more can the
Secretary of State do to ensure that R&D opportunity
investment is spread across our country?
It is incredibly important for this Government that we invest
across the whole country, which is why we have invested £118
million in healthcare research and partnership hubs that are
outside London and across the United Kingdom. I hope that this
benefits the hon. Gentleman's area too.
Mr Speaker
I call the Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology
Committee.
(Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West) (Lab)
The whole House recognises—certainly, the Government's industrial
strategy does—that in order to drive growth we need innovation
clusters across the country. The last Government committed to
increasing R&D spend outside of the greater south-east by 40%
by 2030 as part of the failed levelling-up strategy. Will the
Secretary of State say whether he intends to maintain that
target, and/or what steps he will take to ensure that funding is
available to drive regional growth and innovation?
I am extremely grateful to my hon. Friend for her question, and I
congratulate her, on behalf the whole House, on her election as
Chair of the Select Committee—I look forward to appearing before
it soon and regularly thereafter. She raises an incredibly
important point. I can say that this Government are committed to
working with local and regional mayors to ensure that local
growth plans and the partnerships with UKRI will benefit all
regions. These include a £100 million innovation accelerator
pilot and £80 million in launchpad programmes, all of which will
meet the needs that she outlines.
(Strangford) (DUP)
The Secretary of State has an interest in Northern Ireland, so
can I ask him whether he holds statistics on how much research
and development tax relief support has been issued to Northern
Ireland in the last 12 months to help support science and
technology? If he does not have the figures today, I would be
happy for him to send them to me.
As always, I am grateful to hear from the hon. Gentleman. I will
be in touch with any specifics that I can follow up with, but we
are a Government committed to Northern Ireland, which I believe
he will have seen from day one of this Labour Government back in
July. I can also show that there have been great advancements in
investment in Northern Ireland, which is why Northern Ireland has
the highest coverage rates for fast fibre-optic broadband of any
part of the United Kingdom. I want to be a champion for Northern
Ireland, and I visited recently to ensure that everybody in the
science and technology community there realises that this is a
Government who are on their side.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Meriden and Solihull East)
(Con)
The Secretary of State, in one of his first acts in his new role,
cut £1.3 billion-worth of funding that would have been
transformative for enabling cutting-edge research and development
in Britain. I note that he has also ditched our ambition to turn
Britain into a science and technology superpower. We set a target
of £20 billion for R&D, which we met, but he has set no such
target. Will he be setting a target, and can he today promise
that there will be no cuts to R&D expenditure?
I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on his appointment to his
Front-Bench role. Let us just be honest about what this
Government inherited. That £20 billion black hole affects every
single Department across Government. My Department inherited a
situation where the previous Government—including the former
Chancellor, the right hon. Member for Godalming and Ash (), who is sitting on the
Opposition Front Bench—committed at this Dispatch Box to an
exascale project to which not one single penny had been
committed. That was a fraud committed on the scientific community
of our country by that Government, and I had to make the
difficult decision to move forward—
Mr Speaker
Order. I think we have gone on long enough on that question.
Project Gigabit: Chester South and Eddisbury
(Chester South and
Eddisbury) (Con)
6. What steps he is taking to roll out Project Gigabit in the
Chester South and Eddisbury constituency.(900699)
The Minister for Data Protection and Telecoms ()
As part of Project Gigabit, Freedom Fibre is delivering a
contract to provide 15,000 homes and businesses across Cheshire,
including in the hon. Lady's constituency, with access to fast,
reliable broadband. In addition, over 800 vouchers have been
issued to connect premises in her constituency through the
gigabit broadband voucher scheme.
Close to half the wards in my constituency are judged by Ofcom to
be in the worst 30% of all areas in the UK when it comes to
having a decent broadband connection. My constituents will be
deeply concerned by reports that the current review of the next
stage of Project Gigabit could see funds diverted from
hard-to-reach rural areas to major cities such as central London.
Will the Minister offer a concrete guarantee that no rural
community will be left behind by the Government's review?
I do not see it as a divide between rural and urban, because
there are urban issues as well as rural issues. The hon. Lady is
absolutely right that the previous Government failed to deliver
in her constituency, and we intend to put that right. She should
not believe everything she reads in the newspapers. I know that
she was trying to have a meeting with Building Digital UK, and I
am happy to make sure that we can both sit down with officials to
try to sort out these problems in her constituency—and I am happy
to do the same for any other Members.
Nick (Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney) (Lab)
The Minister knows that improved connectivity is important to the
economy of our south Wales valleys. However, it has been hard for
me to get definitive information on the roll-out of Project
Gigabit to Trefil, just north of Tredegar, in my constituency.
Will he please look into this so that my constituents in Trefil,
and across the rest of Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, know when their
broadband service will improve?
I am happy to arrange the same kind of meeting with my hon.
Friend as I offered to the hon. Member for Chester South and
Eddisbury (). He is right that there
are very significant problems in south Wales valleys communities,
and we need to put those right. It is a shame that we have not
had a digital inclusion strategy for 10 whole years, which is a
disgrace. That is one of the things we need to put right.
UK Space Sector
Mr (Orkney and Shetland)
(LD)
7. What steps he is taking to help support the UK space
sector.(900700)
The Minister for Data Protection and Telecoms ()
We have already debated some of these issues, as the right hon.
Gentleman knows, and he is right to stress that the UK space
sector is one of our most important areas of possible economic
growth. We want to maximise our unique potential in this area,
and I look forward to working with him and the companies based in
his constituency that are seeking to do this.
Mr Carmichael
I thank the Minister, as this sector offers massive economic and
strategic opportunities for the United Kingdom. The development
of the Shetland spaceport at SaxaVord is now significantly ahead
of the field, so getting that project across the line will bring
benefits to other projects across the United Kingdom. Will the
Minister meet me and the developers of SaxaVord in Shetland to
discuss what the Government can do, directly or indirectly, to
help?
It feels like I will be meeting everyone, but I am very happy to
meet the right hon. Gentleman. Indeed, I am meeting Orbex later
today, because an important point is that we have a specific
geographical and skills advantage in the launch sector, which we
need to exploit to our best advantage for the whole UK economy.
It is not just about what happens on Shetland; it is about lots
of businesses in the supply chain, from mission control to
technological support. Yes, I am very happy to meet him.
Roblox: Child Protection
(Northampton South) (Lab)
8. What steps he is taking to protect children using the Roblox
platform from online predators.(900701)
The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
()
Keeping children safe online is the priority for this Government.
The Online Safety Act 2023 places strict safety duties on online
platforms, such as Roblox, to protect children from being groomed
by online predators. Ofcom is the regime's regulator and, by the
end of this year, it will set out steps for the platforms to take
to fulfil their duties.
One of my constituents is a volunteer moderator on the Roblox
platform. His group has identified and banned over 14,000
accounts involved in child grooming, exploitation and sharing
indecent images. Does the Secretary of State agree that while we
drive for tech innovation and investment, we must keep online
safety at the heart of our strategy?
I extend my deepest sympathies to those who have been affected by
the crimes that my hon. Friend outlines. The Online Safety
Act—and its measures that will soon come into force—is there to
address that concern directly. I want these powers to be used as
assertively as possible. Just today, I have heard about another
story concerning Roblox. I expect that company to do better in
protecting service users, particularly children, on its
platform.
Topical Questions
Mr Speaker
I call Ayoub Khan—not here.
(Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
(Lab)
T2. If he will make a statement on his departmental
responsibilities.(900710)
The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
()
At the international investment summit on Monday, some of the
world's biggest science and tech firms committed to investing
billions of pounds in Britain, growing our economy and creating
new jobs across our country.
In Rome last week, I launched the UK's first online safety
agreement with the United States. By working with our closest
partner, home to the world's biggest tech companies, we will
create a safer online world for our children.
Finally, on behalf of the whole House, I congratulate Sir Demis
Hassabis and Geoffrey Hinton on the Nobel prizes they won last
week. Their extraordinary achievements are testament to the
phenomenal level of AI talent fostered in Britain today.
There are numerous examples of the damage that out of control
social media and mobile phone usage is doing to our young people,
including in my area of Fife. The Courier newspaper has played an
important role in highlighting this. Does the Secretary of State
recognise the concerns that the safer phones Bill—the Protection
of Children (Digital Safety and Data Protection) Bill—presented
today by my hon. Friend the Member for Whitehaven and Workington
() and backed by many hon.
Members across the House, seeks to address?
I pay tribute to The Courier for exposing some of these issues.
We must keep children and vulnerable people safe when they are
online. I intend to ensure that safety is baked in from the
outset. When it comes to keeping children safe in this country,
everything is on the table and I am open minded about how we move
forward to achieve a much safer environment. Companies releasing
products into our society should see that as a privilege, not a
right. I have high expectations, on behalf of this country, to
ensure that safety is baked in from the start.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
(Arundel and South Downs)
(Con)
Did the Secretary of State fully disclose to the Civil Service
Commission the Labour links of one of the most senior civil
service appointments, or the £66,000 donation he received?
Every donation that was made to this party in opposition has been
declared in the appropriate ways. I am proud to be part of a
party that raises standards in public life rather than votes to
lower them. [Interruption.] I am also proud to be part of a party
that comes into government and attracts talent to working for it,
whereas when the Conservatives see talent, they libel it.
Thanks to Whitehall Watch, we have a copy of the form. It is
clear the Secretary of State failed to mention the conflicts of
interest, as required by the ministerial code. In the words of
the Prime Minister's favourite pop star, some would say he is
“Guilty as Sin”. Will he refer himself to the adviser on
standards, or do we have to wait for the Prime Minister to finish
organising VIP motorcades and do it for him?
There we have it—a party that attacks civil servants and the
world's greatest talent gravitating towards this party and this
Government, to work for them. When he sees talent in Government,
he libels it and saddles the taxpayer with the bill. This
Government attract talent and I am proud of that.
Alex Baker (Aldershot) (Lab)
T3. The first Farnborough International Space Show will take
place in my constituency in March next year. With space agencies
from across the world already signed up to attend, the show will
allow the UK to stand on the world stage and showcase our
position as a convenor of global innovation. Will the Secretary
of State and the UK Space Agency pledge their support to the show
and will he join me at this inaugural event?(900711)
Farnborough has done an astonishing job at getting British
aviation, which I have supported, into the global news. My dad
served in the Fleet Air Arm back in the 1960s, and I went with
him many times to Farnborough to see the planes he worked on up
in the sky. As a country and a House, we should celebrate the
fact that Farnborough is now moving into space. I am very
grateful for what Farnborough is doing, and of course I will be
there to participate in the event in any way that is
meaningful.
Rebecca (South West Devon) (Con)
T5. Building Digital UK has recently classified Devon, including
rural areas such as Dartmoor national park, as type C procurement
under Project Gigabit. However, there are concerns about how
agile and timely its delivery will be. Will the Minister meet me
to discuss the speedy roll-out of broadband in Dartmoor national
park?(900713)
The Minister for Data Protection and Telecoms ()
it seems—[Interruption.] It seems I have never been so
popular!
I am very happy to meet the hon. Lady, as she makes a serious
point. We want every single part of this country to share in the
digital future. We can do that only if we have the infrastructure
that we need everywhere in the UK.
(South Derbyshire)
(Lab)
T4. I know that the Minister shares the delight that many of us
felt when it was announced that researchers from the UK-based AI
company Google DeepMind are to share a Nobel prize for their work
on protein folding, a technology that will help shape economies
of the future. As founder of Labour Women in Tech, I want this
technological growth to be diverse, so what are the Government
doing to ensure both that the UK remains a global leader in this
tech space and that my constituents in South Derbyshire are able
to trust that this technology can and will benefit
everyone?(900712)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science,
Innovation and Technology ()
I thank my hon. Friend for her question and for all the work that
she does to encourage more women into tech. It is great to know
that the tech world is full not just of “tech bros”, but quite a
lot of tech sisters as well. We are committed to building on the
UK's success as a global AI leader, and the upcoming AI action
plan demonstrates that commitment to ensure the safe development
of AI models by introducing binding regulation on a handful of
companies developing the most powerful AI systems, fostering
trust in those technologies. We will also continue—
Mr Speaker
Order. We are now moving to Prime Minister's questions.
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