Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
1 July 2026
5 contributions
Topical Questions
I am proud that today I am launching our charter for women in research, setting out minimum standards for maternity pay and leave for women doing PhDs in this country, alongside leave for their partners, adoption leave, leave for baby loss and pregnancy-related sickness. More than 64 organisations h…
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…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
1 July 2026
3 contributions
Women in Tech Taskforce
Our economy loses around £3.5 billion a year because women leave the tech sector or change jobs due to barriers that should not exist. That is bad for women and for the tech sector because it loses out on their skills, talent and experience. It is why our women in tech taskforce is addressing the sy…
My hon. Friend is right that the bias in technology highlights why we need more women building it. We want more women in tech and more tech that works for women. That is exactly why we launched the women in tech taskforce. We will publish the results of its call for evidence next week. We have had a…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
1 July 2026
7 contributions
Online Safety: Children
Last month, I announced a defining moment for children and families, banning social media companies from providing their services to under-16s, banning livestreaming and stranger communication for under-16s on services, including gaming, and making Britain the first country in the world to ban sexua…
I pay tribute to the work that my hon. Friend has done on these issues. Young people’s voices have been, and will continue to be, heard. We had 14,000 children and young people respond to our consultation and they raised issues such as the ones mentioned by my hon. Friend. We want to give children t…
+5 more contributions in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
15 June 2026
15 contributions
Social Media Ban for Under-16s
Today marks a defining moment for our children, and for future generations, as we lay the foundations of a new settlement for the online world. We want to ensure that children have the best start in life and the freedom to be children again, and to put power back into parents’ hands.
Up and down th…
We are doing this to give greater protections to children and greater clarity to parents and carers, and to set a new social norm for future generations. My intention is to lay before the House regulations on a ban, and to have a vote on them by the end of this year, with the ban coming into effect …
+13 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
20 May 2026
6 contributions
Topical Questions
This Government believe that Britain’s national interests are strengthened, not diminished, when we work with like-minded countries. That is why next week I will be joining other G7 nations coming together as democracies to discuss how we shape tech and AI to work for all, and why I will be proud to…
I know the hon. Gentleman is a powerful advocate of life sciences nationally and in his constituency. We see them as one of our greatest national assets, not only helping to save lives but drive jobs, growth and innovation. I am proud that this Government have made the largest ever investment in res…
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
20 May 2026
3 contributions
Growing up in the Online World: Consultation
Making it as simple as possible for parents and children to get involved in our consultation is really important to me personally, because I know that this is an issue that so many families grapple with every single day. We have dedicated surveys for parents and young people. Almost 38,000 parents a…
Let me just reassure my hon. Friend on some of those points. We have had 38,000 parents respond to the surveys, which I think is good, but there is more to be done there. In terms of medical professionals, we have had a response from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, multiple individual medical do…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
20 May 2026
8 contributions
Child Protection Online
Ensuring that children have healthy and safe lives online is one of my top priorities. From making cyber-flashing and self-harm and suicide content the subject of priority offences under the Online Safety Act 2023 to banning nudification apps and standing up to Grok and X, I will leave no stone untu…
Yes, that is absolutely my objective. I remind the House that our consultation is looking at not just whether there should be a ban on social media for under-16s but a whole range of other issues, including whether platforms should be required to switch off addictive features, whether there should b…
+6 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
18 March 2026
6 contributions
Topical Questions
No woman or child should live in fear of having their image sexually manipulated by technology. That is why in the past six months we have made intimate image abuse and cyber-flashing priority offences under the Online Safety Act 2023; criminalised the creation of non-consensual sexual deepfakes and…
One of my reflections in this job is that it took eight years for the Online Safety Act 2023 to come in, and it is still to be fully implemented. We need to move faster. MPs discuss a Finance Bill every year, and technology moves incredibly fast, so I am always prepared to take further action when i…
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
18 March 2026
5 contributions
UK Research and Innovation
I am very proud that this Labour Government have put the biggest investment into research and development of any Government ever, with a record £38 billion for UK Research and Innovation, including £14 billion for curiosity-led research. This week, we announced our ambitious plan to buy usable, larg…
A lot of concerns have been raised by the physics community about this issue. The STFC’s budget is actually flat over the spending review, but, as the executive chair says, there have been overspends in its budget over the past five years or so. Those overspends have had to be met from elsewhere in …
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
18 March 2026
5 contributions
Social Media: Children and Young People
Every child deserves the best possible start in life, and that applies as much to the online world as it does to the real one. We know that families everywhere are grappling with the impact of phones and social media. That is why we have launched our national consultation, and we have had over 25,00…
I think the party that wants to repeal the Online Safety Act puts children at risk. Its Members do not stand for British values and they do not stand for British law; Labour Members do.
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
18 March 2026
2 contributions
Artificial Intelligence Growth Zones
This Government have already launched five AI growth zones, creating 15,000 jobs and unlocking £40 billion of investment in industrial heartlands across the country. The east midlands AI growth zone— a high-potential bid for that is under active consideration —could bring thousands of good jobs to t…
In the 14 months we have been in government, our AI growth zones have done more to level up the country than Conservative Members achieved in 14 years; these zones are being built in the areas that once led the industrial revolution and will now lead the technological revolution. We are also upskill…
Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
4 February 2026
6 contributions
Topical Questions
We are in a race for the future, and this Government are determined to seize the opportunities of AI to win for Britain and the British people. Last week, I announced our Lanarkshire AI growth zone, creating 3,400 jobs. On Monday, I announced that Barnsley will be the UK’s first tech town, and we ha…
My hon. Friend has always been a powerful champion for the good people of Watford. This Government are determined to make sure that national and local public services are more easily accessible online, through things such as the NHS app, and that people can get driving licences and information about…
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
4 February 2026
3 contributions
Social Media Ban
The Government’s consultation on children’s use of social media and how we build a great life online for our young people will include the option of banning social media for under-16s. We will also look at other measures, such as raising the digital age of consent, breaks to stop excessive use or do…
I am not one for hanging about. I want to act swiftly, and we will do whatever is possible on the basis of the consultation and the decisions we take to act as swiftly as possible.
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
4 February 2026
5 contributions
Teenagers’ Use of Social Media
I have spoken to a range of individuals and organisations about teenagers’ use of social media. Last month, I met families who have suffered unimaginable tragedy as a result of their children’s experiences online. In April, my Department will co-host an event with the National Society for the Preven…
I would say that it is early days in Australia, and we also know the action that France and Spain will be taking. I do not know whether the hon. Lady was present during my statement last week, when I set out that we will consult on a range of different options, including a ban on social media for th…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
4 February 2026
3 contributions
AI: Impact on Employment
Very briefly, Mr Speaker, if I may, I am aware of a serious incident having taken place in my city of Leicester, at De Montfort University. I know that people will be deeply worried and concerned. I will just say that I hope people use trusted sources of information, including online. Do not specula…
My hon. Friend, as always, is spot on. We are determined to ensure that the benefits of AI are felt by working people right across the country. That is why our new AI growth zones in north Wales, south Wales, Lanarkshire and the north-east are built on places that were the beating heart of our indus…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
20 January 2026
53 contributions
Mobile Phones and Social Media: Use by Children
I would like to make a statement on the next steps this Government will take to keep children safe online and give them the childhood they deserve.
Last week, I said in this House that artificial intelligence and technology have huge potential to create jobs and growth, to diagnose and treat diseas…
The hon. Lady has talked about leadership. May I remind the House that last week, when the Prime Minister and I showed strong and firm leadership on X and Grok, she claimed that the issues were a legal grey area—which they are not—and compared our stance to that of the mullahs of Iran, which would b…
+51 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
12 January 2026
41 contributions
Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes
With permission, I would like to make a statement on artificial intelligence, social media and online safety. No woman or child should live in fear of having their image sexually manipulated by technology, yet in recent days the AI tool Grok on the social media platform X has been used to create and…
I was going to say that I was grateful to the hon. Lady for her support for Ofcom’s action and investigations, and her support for our action on banning nudification apps, and that I hope she and her party will actually vote for the Crime and Policing Bill in its final stages, but she then began her…
+39 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
17 December 2025
4 contributions
Topical Questions
This Government are committed to giving women and girls from all walks of life the chances they need to get the jobs and opportunities of the future. Last week, I met British women tech founders in San Francisco, and this week we held the first meeting of our new women in tech taskforce to give oppo…
I thank the hon. Lady for her question. This is a serious issue, and we need to make swifter and stronger progress on it. I regularly meet Ofcom and its chief executive; indeed, I did so yesterday. I want to make sure that we do not have the delays and that we have stronger action, and this is a poi…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
17 December 2025
3 contributions
Artificial Intelligence Skills
This Government are determined to ensure that young people can seize the opportunities that AI brings. That is why we are giving 1 million secondary school pupils skills in tech and AI as part of our TechFirst skills programme. It is why we are replacing the currently over-narrow computer science GC…
My hon. Friend has hit on one of the biggest challenges and opportunities we face as a country: how AI is going to transform how we live, earn and learn. We must prepare not only our young people but the entire workforce for the changes that AI inevitably brings. That is why, alongside the changes I…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
17 December 2025
5 contributions
Modern Industrial Strategy
Happy Christmas to one and all here, and to all our constituents and loved ones.
I am very proud that this Labour Government are putting the biggest ever investment into research and development, including a record £38.6 billion for UK Research and Innovation. Alongside continuing to support curios…
I absolutely agree that Middlesbrough and Thornaby East is leading the way in delivering our modern industrial strategy, creating more good jobs that pay a decent wage and building the future economy that our country needs. I would be delighted to see more of that excellent work, and I believe that …
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
12 November 2025
5 contributions
Topical Questions
The Government are determined to seize the opportunities that new technology brings, but to do that we must protect our children online and protect our critical national infrastructure from technological threats, too. That is why, today, we are tabling an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, so…
Mobile services are essential to communities, and it is not good enough that the mast in my hon. Friend’s constituency was decommissioned without warning. Prompt action by my Department ensured that services were restored by 7 November, and Virgin Media O2 and VodafoneThree have assured us that cust…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
12 November 2025
5 contributions
Life Sciences: Economic Growth
The UK life sciences sector is one of our greatest national assets in not only saving lives, but driving jobs, growth and innovation. The sector has been projected to grow by £41 billion across the UK by 2030, employing an extra 100,000 people. Our life sciences sector plan will help us seize this p…
My hon. Friend has my absolute assurance that backing our brilliant life sciences sector, universities and companies is a top priority for this Government. Alongside our support for the Swansea Bay city deal, which, as she says, includes life sciences and wellbeing, we have a £520 million life scien…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
12 November 2025
3 contributions
Universities: Research and Development
Our world-leading universities and the research that they do are crucial to economic growth. On average, every £1 of public research and development investment generates £8 in economic benefits for the UK over the longer term. That is why this Government are investing £86 billion over the spending r…
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to say that we do not lack in great ideas or great start-ups in this country. We need to support them better to scale up, and that is what the Government are doing across a range of sectors. The hon. Gentleman can look at the actions we are taking on UK pension…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Proceedings
13 October 2025
Points of Order
Further to that point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I really apologise if we did not inform the hon. Gentleman that we were coming. That was an error and we will make sure that we put it right.
Commons
Debate
13 October 2025
43 contributions
Digital ID
I have always believed in giving people power and control over their lives: control over the public services they use and how they access childcare, benefits and housing support; control over their data, and who sees it; and control over the choices they make to rent or buy a home, apply for a job, …
Well, Madam Deputy Speaker, that is definitely the first time I have been called a big fat socialist. [ Laughter. ]
The hon. Lady asks how it will help crack down on illegal immigration. Making ID mandatory and digital will really help us to get, much more swiftly and automatically, more actionable…
+41 more contributions in this session