Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what insights or lessons from the UK pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai have informed the planning and design of the UK pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka, which opened on 13 April.
Answered by Baroness Gustafsson - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
DBT have taken lessons learned from previous Expos and other major events (including Commonwealth Games and Investment Summits) to inform the planning and design of the UK Pavilion at Expo Osaka.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of AI-integrated health monitoring tools to manage unsupervised use of medications such as semaglutide.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Currently, no assessment has been made on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor the unsupervised use of these medications. However, we recognise the potential of AI and monitoring systems to support people’s health and care, including through the monitoring of vital signs. The United Kingdom has a world-leading regulatory system which ensures that medical technologies on the market are safe for use, including AI technologies. Should the National Health Service begin to assess AI-integrated health monitoring tools, they will be held to the same regulatory standards as other tools used by the NHS.
Medications such as semaglutide are prescription only medicines and should not be used unsupervised. It is illegal to obtain a prescription medicine without a prescription.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) benefits and (2) risks of using wearable technology and AI-driven monitoring systems to track vital signs in patients who are prescribed semaglutide; and whether those systems could be used to automatically alert healthcare providers or patients in the event of adverse reactions.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published early value assessment guidance on digital technologies for delivering multidisciplinary weight management services. This includes recommendations on which technologies can be used in the National Health Service to prescribe and monitor obesity medicines and deliver multidisciplinary weight-management services in adults.
The Department has not commissioned, and has no current plans to commission, research or an assessment into the use of artificial intelligence or wearable technology for people using obesity medicines. However, we recognise the potential of artificial intelligence, wearable technologies, and monitoring systems to support people’s health and care, including through the monitoring of vital signs.
Whilst we have not made a specific assessment of their use in patients prescribed semaglutide, we are actively exploring where these technologies can be safely, effectively, and appropriately used in the health and care system. Ensuring the safe integration of wearable technologies and artificial intelligence into clinical pathways requires careful consideration and collaboration with clinicians, patients, and technology developers.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have commissioned, or plan to commission, studies into the use of artificial intelligence to monitor individuals who purchase semaglutide for weight loss, particularly in regard to patient follow-up and supervision.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published early value assessment guidance on digital technologies for delivering multidisciplinary weight management services. This includes recommendations on which technologies can be used in the National Health Service to prescribe and monitor obesity medicines and deliver multidisciplinary weight-management services in adults.
The Department has not commissioned, and has no current plans to commission, research or an assessment into the use of artificial intelligence or wearable technology for people using obesity medicines. However, we recognise the potential of artificial intelligence, wearable technologies, and monitoring systems to support people’s health and care, including through the monitoring of vital signs.
Whilst we have not made a specific assessment of their use in patients prescribed semaglutide, we are actively exploring where these technologies can be safely, effectively, and appropriately used in the health and care system. Ensuring the safe integration of wearable technologies and artificial intelligence into clinical pathways requires careful consideration and collaboration with clinicians, patients, and technology developers.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Vallance of Balham on 25 March (HL5666), what further details they will provide on meetings Ministers from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology have held with external stakeholders abroad, including the names of the companies and individuals involved.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ministers and officials have regular meetings with a range of external stakeholders abroad.
Ministerial meetings and engagements are published through quarterly transparency reports on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what specific funding initiatives are currently allocated to support traditional craftsmanship and skills preservation within Stoke-on-Trent's historic pottery industry; and whether they intend to increase investment in apprenticeship programmes focused on ceramic manufacturing skills.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The craft sector has developed the level 3 craft technician apprenticeship standard, which includes a ceramicist training option. In February 2025 the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education and the Heritage Crafts Association held a stakeholder engagement event for heritage craft industries promoting the benefits of apprenticeships and technical education qualifications.
The department will continue to support learners who wish to have a career in pottery and ceramic manufacturing through its technical education offer, with a range of high-quality qualifications and apprenticeship opportunities available at all levels. We recognise the crucial role that colleges and providers play in delivering the skills training and innovation needed for our current and future workforce. An example of this is T Levels in Craft and Design, giving 16 to 19-year-olds the knowledge and skills needed for entry to a range of occupations in this sector.
Local skills improvement plans (LSIPs) are an initiative funded by the department to support meeting local skills needs. The Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire LSIP, developed by Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce as the designated employer representative body, includes engineering and advanced manufacturing, including ceramics, in its key sectors and priorities.
Stoke on Trent College’s accountability statement highlights how their strategic aims and objectives align to the LSIP priorities, including ceramics. It delivers ceramics and pottery throwing skills and the adult level 2 award in ceramics together with their apprenticeship provision supports local pottery manufacturing, typically via engineering apprentices for members of their technician staff.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings about artificial intelligence and copyright issues took place between Ministers and officials from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and representatives of the Tony Blair Institute between July 2024 and March 2025; and what were the dates and outcomes of those meetings.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ministers and officials have regular meetings with a range of stakeholders about AI and Copyright issues, including the Tony Blair Institute.
Ministerial meetings and engagements are published through quarterly transparency reports on gov.uk.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings about artificial intelligence and copyright issues took place between Ministers and officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and representatives of the Tony Blair Institute between July 2024 and March 2025; and what the dates and outcomes were of those meetings.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
No meetings took place between Ministers and officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and representatives of the Tony Blair Institute between July 2024 and March 2025.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings have been held by ministers and officials at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport between July 2024 and February 2025 specifically addressing artificial intelligence and copyright issues; what was the distribution of these meetings between representatives of (1) creative industries, (2) artificial intelligence technology companies, and (3) meetings with both sectors represented, with a breakdown of these figures by month; and whether minutes of these meetings are publicly available.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to hearing a broad range of views to help inform its approach to copyright and AI.
Ministerial meetings are published according to normal transparency requirements.
The current best estimate of the number of meetings involving officials at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (including the Intellectual Property Office) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport between July 2024 and February 2025 is in the table below.
Month | Creative Industries | AI technology companies | Meetings with both sectors represented |
July ‘24 | 3 | 1 |
|
August ‘24 | 2 | 2 |
|
September ‘24 | 6 | 2 |
|
October ‘24 | 12 | 3 | 3 |
November ‘24 | 8 | 6 | 1 |
December ‘24 | 4 | 5 | 2 |
January ‘25 | 9 | 12 | 5 |
February ‘25 | 8 | 8 | 6 |
This includes meetings where officials from both departments attended.
The minutes of official level meetings are not routinely published
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to introduce specific legislation addressing copyright and artificial intelligence following their consultation; what consideration they have given to incorporating copyright protections for creative works within the Data (Use and Access) Bill rather than through separate legislation; and what impact assessment they have conducted on the potential effects on creative industries of the Data (Use and Access) Bill being enacted before establishing clear copyright frameworks for artificial intelligence.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government’s consultation on Copyright and AI closed on 25th February. It would be premature to legislate now: the Government is clear that no changes will be considered unless we are completely satisfied we are delivering a solution which works for creators. Our priority is to review the evidence from the consultation which will inform the Government response, including any legislative proposals.