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Written question asked by Richard Burgon (Labour) on Wednesday, 15 April 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 20 April 2026. It was answered by Kanishka Narayan (Labour) on Tuesday, 28 April 2026 on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Internet: Children

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, which (a) departmental officials, (b) external academic partners, and (c) private contractors were responsible for designing the methodology and key performance indicators (KPIs) of the 6-week digital wellbeing pilot studies currently being conducted by the Government.

Answer

The pilots were developed by professional analysts within DSIT, with advice from the Government Office for Science. This included a roundtable convened by the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Dame Angela McLean, of academics and Chief Scientific Advisers from FCDO, DfE and College of Policing. Private contractors were not involved in designing the methodology.

The pilots are qualitative studies, intended to generate in‑depth insights into young people’s navigation and experience of social media. The research is not designed to be statistically representative, so KPIs are limited to delivery logistics, such as recruitment targets, rather than impact measures.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
127477
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Children Internet Public consultation
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk