Conservative ministers have been meeting with Google executives, between them averaging once a month since the general election in 2010, it has been revealed. David Cameron has met with the internet giant three times, whilst his Chancellor George Osborne has had four meetings, the same number as Jeremy Hunt. Ed Vaizey, Culture minister has visited Google seven times. In total the Tory ministers tally 23 meetings since 2010.

David Cameron will set out proposals to automatically block internet pornography sites as part of a plan to protect children from graphic images online. The Prime Minister is expected to reveal whether adults wanting to view porn should be forced to “opt-in” in order to access porn sites, a measure opposed by internet service providers and anti-censorship groups.

MPs are to receive taxpayer-funded iPads in an effort to cut costs and save paper. Politicians will be able to claim the tablets on expenses provided they swap another piece of computer technology in return although around 350 MPs who sit on select committees will be offered the devices without having to trade.

The head of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre has backed the Government's plan to give police new powers for monitoring internet communications, saying it would help prosecute child abusers. Peter Davies claimed that a lack of email records prevents as many as a third of cases from being pursued, and called access to such data "essential".

Labour has backed the campaign to introduce a filter which would automatically block adult material online unless the user specifically opts in to see the content. Writing for today’s Daily Mail, which is leading the campaign for the filter, Jenny Chapman and Helen Goodman, Shadow Culture and Justice ministers respectively, say the move would protect children from this “modern-day form of pollution”.

Parents are putting their children at risk by helping them set up under-age Facebook accounts, the Children's Minister has said. Tim Loughton accued parents who help their children of "aiding and abetting" youngsters to use the site, despite the official age limit being 13.

Former Shadow Home Secretary David Davis has criticised the Government's plans to extend its powers to watch what people do online. He dubbed the proposals 'a snooper's charter' and said that the plans would create 'a nation of suspects'.

The Met Office needs super computers to help it make accurate severe weather warnings and long-term forecasts, a committee of MPs has said. The Science and Technology Committee said the Met Office should have a 10-year plan for the computers.

The Government has announced a privately-funded science university plan. David Willetts, who is heading the initiative, said science and research will drive the economy into growth.

Similar to project in New York, British universities are being asked to come up with ideas which the Government would help with. The universities have to find their own private funding however.

Mr Willetts said: “we are saying to the universities and potential new entrants, the ball is in your court, if you have got smart ideas about things you would like to do in the future that are a bit different from things you do now then come up with the ideas and we’ll look at them sympathetically.”