Question follow-through · 86307
Internet: Safety
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the increased use of VPNs on the level of (a) data and (b) national security risks since the introduction of the
About this written question
A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.
- Answering body
- Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
- Tabled
- 29 Oct 2025
- Target answer date
- 3 Nov 2025
- Answer
- 7 Nov 2025 · 9 calendar days after tabling
Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.
Recorded timeline
29 Oct 2025
Question tabled
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the increased use of VPNs on the level of (a) data and (b) national security risks since the introduction of the
3 Nov 2025
Target answer date
Date supplied by the official written-questions record.
7 Nov 2025
Answer published
The Department is monitoring the impact of circumvention techniques, including VPNs, on the Online Safety Act. Ofcom told Parliament last month that UK usage of VPN apps had declined from an initial peak when the Act’s child safety duties commenced.There ...
Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.
Later records
Possible follow-up questions
Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.
Social Media: Artificial Intelligence
15 Dec 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made an assessment how social media platforms could use in-built AI to detect and protect children against (a) cyberbullying and (b) online grooming.
Social Media: Schools
6 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with Ofcom on taking steps to help prevent schools wars content circulating on social media platforms.
Artificial Intelligence
10 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring all communication produced by genAI chatbots in professional settings to be labelled as such.
Information Commissioner's Office: Data Protection
14 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the timeliness of the Information Commissioners Office's responses to complaints about potential breaches of data protection legislation.
Members: Correspondence
19 May 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when the Minister of AI and Digital Government plans to reply to the correspondence of 25 March 2026 from the Hon. Member for St Albans, reference DC54221/DSIT.