Topical Questions 2026-07-01
2026-07-01
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
At the all-party parliamentary group on digital communities, it was heard that mobile network operators do not serve rural areas properly due to lack of planning permissions.
In Shropshire, the council has given planning permission to a passive infrastructure provider for three specific sites but it still cannot get the mobile network operators to put their equipment on their masts. What can the Secretary of State do to ensure mobile network operators give my constituents the coverage that they are paying for?
I know that the hon. Lady is really concerned to ensure that her constituents have proper network coverage. We encourage mobile network operators to use existing infrastructure where they can, but I am more than happy to arrange a meeting with my right hon. Friend the Minister for Digital Government and Data to get the progress that the people of North Shropshire need and deserve.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer did not address how to ensure operators provide coverage in specific areas.
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The broadcasting, entertainment and arts unions all-party parliamentary group heard concerning evidence that their work is being scraped by sophisticated AI models for training purposes.
When will the Secretary of State introduce laws to protect the creative industries? Will she meet with the APPG and unions to discuss this matter further?
I thank my hon. Friend for raising that critical question for Britain's creative sector. Just yesterday, on British IP Day, I met with the Alliance for Intellectual Property, including artists, authors, publishers, journalists and media organisations, to talk about how our work on digital replicas and transparency will be critical to supporting the creative sector. I would be delighted to meet my hon. Friend and the APPG.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not specify when laws will be introduced.
Response accuracy
Q3
Direct Answer
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Context
Professor Brian Cox warned about the impact of government cuts to research on advanced physics and astronomy.
Are those the Secretary of State's research priorities too? If not, has she made that crystal clear to UK Research and Innovation?
I am sorry to put the hon. Lady straight, but we are not cutting money for that. We are actually putting in the biggest funding for research and development ever in this country—something of which I am especially proud. We are protecting curiosity-led research and ensuring that we focus on the key priorities of this country, because we know there is no route to stronger growth or better answers and innovations without science and technology at its core.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
The previous Secretary of State said the problems facing physics funding needed to be sorted out as soon as possible.
Has she lobbied the Energy Secretary to stop him driving up the core costs of our critical scientific research institutions?
I say gently to the hon. Lady that we are dealing with the mess we inherited from Conservative Members by ensuring that this country can rely on clean, renewable, home-grown energy right here in Britain. That is why we are driving the technological revolution in AI in our AI growth zones in Wales through three small modular nuclear reactors. It is also why this country has had more venture capital funding in our AI start-ups just this year than the whole of the rest of Europe. We are driving forward change to ensure that this country can succeed.
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Assessment & feedback
Discussed energy policy but did not address high costs affecting physics research funding.
Response accuracy
Q5
Direct Answer
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Context
Pupils at Northgate high school expressed a need for greater access to public services and digital and AI skills.
Will the Minister outline what the Government are doing to ensure that pupils can access those public services as well as the important digital and AI skills that they desperately need?
This Government are boosting digital and AI skills by embedding media literacy across all key stages, including by introducing an AI-inclusive computing GCSE and a £20 million early careers jobs alliance. We will ensure that digital inclusion is fundamental as the Government work to develop digital access to public services through digital ID. These measures will support children and all people to access public services when they need them; they will be personalised, joined up and involve less faff.
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Assessment & feedback
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Q6
Partial Answer
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Context
There is a commitment to introduce a social media ban for under-16s following calls from Conservative Members.
Will the Secretary of State outline what steps the Government will take to ensure that the enforcement of such a ban is robust enough to prevent children from bypassing it through the use of mechanisms such as virtual private networks, which expose young people to additional risks?
The hon. Gentleman makes an important point—we know children will try to get around the ban, and will succeed. Our measures are as much about resetting the cultural and social norms for future generations, but we will have more highly effective age verification measures to make this work. We are looking at the issue of VPNs in particular, and I will come back to the House with more on that issue very soon.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specific steps for enforcement against use of mechanisms like virtual private networks.
Response accuracy