Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government further to the six algorithmic transparency reports published under the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard, how many automated decision-making tools are currently used by public authorities that have not submitted reports under the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard; and what steps they are taking, or intend to take, to increase compliance with that Standard.

The government has made transparency around automated decision-making a priority through the publication of the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS).

The ATRS is a maturing standard which is being progressively promoted and adopted across the public sector. It is still evolving alongside policy thinking and government understanding of the complexities, scope, and risks around its use. Enshrining the Standard into law at this point of maturity might hinder the ability to ensure it remains relevant in a rapidly developing technology field. We remain committed to reevaluating our position on legislative change in the future, once the policy and the Standard have matured further.

While the government currently has no comprehensive view of the full range of automated decision-making tools currently used by public authorities, several steps have been taken to increase compliance with the Standard in the absence of legislation. The ATRS has been endorsed by the government’s Data Standards Authority. Since its publication, it has been piloted with a variety of public sector organisations across the UK and the published records can be openly accessed via GOV.UK. It is currently being rolled out more widely across the public sector with a view to embedding it into internal governance processes and increasing compliance.