Select committee: Education Committee
Conclusion 27
Fourth Report - Screen time: impacts on education and wellbeing
Published 25 May 2024
Paragraph 119
Addressed to Department for Education
Education Committee Screen Time: Impacts on education and wellbeing All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
There has been a huge increase in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in recent years by children. This leaves users at risk of encountering new types of online harms facilitated by the use of AI. Despite this, there is currently little to no regulation of the AI market.
From: Education Committee, Fourth Report - Screen time: impacts on education and wellbeing (HC 118), paragraph 119, 25 May 2024
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 22 May 2025 (deadline 25 July 2024).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government recognises the Committee's concerns about screen time and says it is taking action, while stating that further evidence is needed in some areas and that it has set out how all recommendations will be carefully considered.
- On a statutory mobile phone ban in schools, the government says one is "not necessary" because survey evidence suggests schools are following the existing non-statutory guidance, and it will keep surveying schools to inform whether further action is needed.
- On banning smartphones for under 16s, it says there is "a lack of robust and causal evidence" to support this, and that it is building the evidence.
- On a consultation on the digital age of consent, the government says it "will give further consideration" to the recommendation and recognises the importance of keeping the area under review.
- On the Online Safety Act, it states that the child safety duties regime "should be fully in effect by summer 2025", subject to the draft codes passing parliamentary scrutiny once laid.