Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Digital Exclusion

Wednesday 22 May 2024 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial Department is taking a cross-departmental approach to digital inclusion.
  • The Government expressed regret over a constituent's experience with investment fraud.
  • Government is exploring data access for researchers under the Online Safety Act 2023.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Richard Foord Lib Dem Honiton and Sidmouth
Science & Technology
Context

The issue of digital exclusion is highlighted, with a focus on the need for cross-governmental efforts and specific strategies to ensure that everyone can participate in the digital age.

Question

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle digital exclusion. The Government's latest digital inclusion strategy was written 10 years ago. Does the Minister accept that there are good reasons why many older people want to be able to look somebody in the eye when making investments or doing their banking?

Answer from Saqib Bhatti

Choice is important, which is why our digital inclusion approach cuts across many Departments. I am sorry to hear the case of the hon. Gentleman's constituent. I am happy for him to write to me, and I can talk to him about our national fraud strategy as well.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not address the specific concerns regarding outdated strategies or provided any concrete steps beyond referencing cross-departmental efforts.

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Q2 Richard Foord Lib Dem Honiton and Sidmouth
Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

A constituent of the MP lost over £108,000 due to a digital scam. The issue highlights the necessity for trust in online transactions.

Question

My constituent let me know that by clicking on a dodgy link, he was tricked into making an investment of over £108,000, which turned out to be a scam. Does the Minister accept that there are good reasons why many older people want to be able to look somebody in the eye when making investments or doing their banking?

Answer from Saqib Bhatti

Choice is important, which is why our digital inclusion approach cuts across many Departments. I am sorry to hear the case of the hon. Gentleman's constituent. I am happy for him to write to me, and I can talk to him about our national fraud strategy as well.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide any specific measures or commitments regarding digital scams and trust issues in online transactions.

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Q3 Miriam Cates
Democracy & Elections Science & Technology
Context

There is a growing need to understand the impact of digital technology on society, democracy, and children. The data held by tech companies is currently not accessible for research or regulation.

Question

The impact of the digital world on our lives is growing every day, but we do not yet know enough about the consequences for society, democracy or, indeed, our children, because the data held by tech companies is not visible to the Government, regulators, researchers or the public. Will my hon. Friend update the House on measures to open up access to this data, and will he commit Government support for the amendments to the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill tabled in the other place by Lord Bethell?

Answer from Saqib Bhatti

I thank my hon. Friend for all her campaigning on this and other online safety-related issues; we have had a number of engagements. The Government said very clearly that we would explore the issue of data access for researchers into online safety during the passage of the Online Safety Act 2023. We are aware of the amendments tabled to the DPDI Bill, and I encourage my hon. Friend to watch this space, as we will be reporting in due course.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide a concrete commitment or timeline for supporting the data access amendments but stated they would report on the matter in due course.

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