Written questions by Bhatti.

Innovation and Technology, if he will ensure that funding is allocated for the creation of a new digital inclusion strategy.

It is a scandal that the previous government did not introduce a digital inclusion strategy for ten years.Digital inclusion is a priority for my department and for government, and work is ongoing to develop our approach to tackling digital exclusion and coordinate across government departments. Digital inclusion means ensuring that everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to participate in a modern digital society, whatever their circumstances.Government will work closely with the third sector, devolved administrations, businesses and local authorities, many of whom have already implemented highly successful programmes, to ensure interventions are collaborative and targeted to individual needs.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to support the digital inclusion of (a) elderly, (b) economically disadvantaged and (c) disabled people.

It is a scandal that the previous government did not introduce a digital inclusion strategy for ten years.Digital inclusion is a priority for my department and for government, and work is ongoing to develop our approach to tackling digital exclusion and coordinate across government departments. Digital inclusion means ensuring that everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to participate in a modern digital society, whatever their circumstances.Government will work closely with the third sector, devolved administrations, businesses and local authorities, many of whom have already implemented highly successful programmes, to ensure interventions are collaborative and targeted to individual needs.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to increase digital accessibility for vulnerable people.

It is a scandal that the previous government did not introduce a digital inclusion strategy for ten years.Digital inclusion is a priority for my department and for government, and work is ongoing to develop our approach to tackling digital exclusion and coordinate across government departments. Digital inclusion means ensuring that everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to participate in a modern digital society, whatever their circumstances.Government will work closely with the third sector, devolved administrations, businesses and local authorities, many of whom have already implemented highly successful programmes, to ensure interventions are collaborative and targeted to individual needs.

Innovation and Technology, if he will take steps to develop a digital inclusion strategy.

It is a scandal that the previous government did not introduce a digital inclusion strategy for ten years.Digital inclusion is a priority for my department and for government, and work is ongoing to develop our approach to tackling digital exclusion and coordinate across government departments. Digital inclusion means ensuring that everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to participate in a modern digital society, whatever their circumstances.Government will work closely with the third sector, devolved administrations, businesses and local authorities, many of whom have already implemented highly successful programmes, to ensure interventions are collaborative and targeted to individual needs.

Innovation and Technology, if he will take steps to increase online safety for children.

The government is committed to keeping children safe online and we will continue to work with campaigners, charities, industry, and the regulator to achieve this goal. Our priority is the quick and effective implementation of the Online Safety Act to ensure that children benefit from the wide-reaching protections of the Act.

Innovation and Technology, how much funding has been allocated to ensuring public services are accessible digitally.

The Service Standard and the Technology Code of Practice require government teams to make sure that services are accessible to all users, including disabled people, people with other legally protected characteristics, people who do not have access to the internet or lack the skills and confidence to use the internet.Accessibility auditing and research with disabled users are expected to be included within the funding to build and run every government service.The new Digital Centre will drive greater inclusion and accessibility to government services.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help tackle online state-sponsored harmful content.

Under the Online Safety Act, companies will be forced to take action against illegal content online. The Foreign Interference Offence, a priority offence in the Act, will require companies to tackle a wide range of state-linked interference online, and platforms will be faced with enforcement action from Ofcom in case of non-compliance.The department engages regularly with social media platforms to discuss state sponsored activity online. This includes flagging content that violates platforms’ terms of service for swift review and working with them to ensure their terms of service are fit for purpose.

Innovation and Technology, if he will work with technology companies to increase online safety.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the internet, and social media in particular, is safe for UK users, especially children. Whilst technology companies have a key role in accelerating innovation, investment and productivity across the UK, they must also accept their responsibility to keep people safe on their platforms. I engage frequently with those companies and I am committed to working with them as we continue to implement the Online Safety Act.

Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of developing a digital inclusion strategy on the number of (a) anti-Semitic and (b) anti-Muslim incidents.

It is a scandal that the previous government did not introduce a digital inclusion strategy for ten years.Digital inclusion is a priority for my department and for government, and work is ongoing to develop our approach to tackling digital exclusion and coordinate across government departments. Digital inclusion means ensuring that everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to participate in a modern digital society, whatever their circumstances.Government will work closely with the third sector, devolved administrations, businesses and local authorities, many of whom have already implemented highly successful programmes, to ensure interventions are collaborative and targeted to individual needs.In developing our plans, we will consider the impact of digital exclusion on all our communities, including Jewish and Muslim communities across the country.We are working at pace to deliver a Digital inclusion national action plan for publication in early December, we are unable to announce this publicly but want to assure that digital inclusion is a priority for government.