Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the scale and impact of AI-generated political misinformation on online platforms; and what steps they are taking to safeguard democratic processes.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government takes the security and integrity of our democratic processes very seriously, including the risks posed by AI-generated content. While recent UK elections did not see the scale and sophistication of AI anticipated, this remains an important issue.

The Online Safety Act requires in-scope services to mitigate risks from illegal disinformation, including AI-generated content, relevant to elections (e.g. false communications). Media literacy is also part of our wider approach, building public resilience to mis- and disinformation.

The department also engages through the government’s Defending Democracy Taskforce, which is committed to safeguarding the UK from the full range of threats to democracy, including those from AI.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reported suspension of the US-UK Technology Prosperity Deal; and what impact this has on US-UK collaboration on artificial intelligence and advanced technologies.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The United States is our close ally and tech partner, and we are committed to ensuring that bond delivers real benefits for hardworking people on both sides of the Atlantic.

We look forward to resuming work on this partnership with the US as quickly as we can to achieve that and working together to help shape the emerging technologies of the future.

Most recently, we were pleased to announce advances in how we share cutting edge UK and US quantum research as well as TAE Technologies and the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s joint venture partnership to commercialise fusion technology in the UK.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Information Commissioner's Office's decision to issue a reprimand rather than a fine to the Post Office following the disclosure of the personal information of postmasters involved in the Horizon IT scandal.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Post Office has rightly apologised for the data breach to which the noble Lord refers, which added to the injustice which this group of postmasters had already experienced. I understand that the Post Office has paid compensation for the breach. It is for the Information Commissioner, as an independent regulator, to decide what penalties are appropriate.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure AI-based systems used by public authorities comply with legal standards and protect citizens' rights.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government is committed to ensuring that the adoption of artificial intelligence across the public sector is safe, effective, efficient and ethical. This work is guided by the AI Opportunities Action Plan and the AI Playbook for Government, which provide departments and public sector organisations with accessible technical guidance on the responsible use of AI.

The AI Playbook includes ethical and legal guidance for all civil servants on how to use AI safely and responsibly. This covers data protection, privacy, cybersecurity and sustainability, alongside the principles set out in the government’s pro-innovation approach to AI regulation. Departments are required to follow existing civil service-wide standards and policies, such as the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard, to ensure compliance and maintain accountability when deploying AI systems.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the draft prostate cancer screening recommendation by the UK National Screening Committee.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We welcome the UK National Screening Committee’s (UK NSC) consideration of the evidence and robust consultation process on both the evidence and its draft recommendation. We are examining the evidence and arguments and will bring together those with differing views.

On 28 November 2025, the UK NSC opened a 12-week public consultation on a draft recommendation to:

• offer a targeted national prostate cancer screening programme to men with confirmed BRCA1/2 gene variants every two years from 45 years old to age 61 years old;
• not recommend population screening;
• not recommend targeted screening of black men;
• not recommend targeted screening of men with family history; and
• collaborate with the Transform trial team to answer outstanding questions on screening effectiveness for black men and men with a family history as soon as the trial data becomes available, and to await the results of the study to develop and trial a more accurate test than the prostate specific antigen test alone, to improve the balance of benefit and harm of screening.

After the consultation closes, in early 2026, the UK NSC will make a final recommendation on screening for prostate cancer. After receiving the final recommendation, ministers will consider whether to accept this and the next steps.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support UK universities and employers in maximising the benefits of the UK's return to the Erasmus+ student exchange programme, particularly in relation to skills and labour mobility.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

A National Agency will be appointed in due course to deliver Erasmus+ for the UK.

A website with further information will be launched by the UK’s National Agency in summer 2026. Guidance on how to apply for Erasmus+ will be available on GOV.UK, and subsequently the National Agency’s website in summer 2026.

The department will work closely with institutions and our young people to maximise take-up, particularly among disadvantaged groups, and provide certainty on complementary UK schemes so providers can plan confidently and deliver at pace.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the adoption of agentic AI systems by banks is aligned with existing financial services consumer protections and regulatory standards.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is working closely with industry and regulators to ensure that the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems by banks is aligned with existing financial services consumer protections and regulatory standards.

The treatment of customers by UK banks and building societies is governed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the independent regulator of the UK’s financial services sector. The FCA’s Principles for Businesses require firms to deliver a prompt, efficient, and fair service to all customers. In addition, the FCA’s Consumer Duty requires firms to act in good faith, avoid foreseeable harm, and act in consumers’ best interests.

The use of AI, including agentic AI, does not absolve firms from their regulatory responsibilities or the need to comply with relevant laws and regulations.

In April 2024, the FCA published an update to its regulatory approach to AI, making clear that where firms use AI as part of their business operations, they remain responsible for ensuring compliance with FCA rules.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recent economic analysis concerning the UK’s inflation outlook and associated risks to economic growth; and how this is being factored into fiscal and economic planning.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Forecasting the UK economy, including the outlook for inflation and economic growth, is the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The government set out how the economic outlook is factored into fiscal and economic planning it its autumn budget published on 26 November. Key points include:

- According to the OBR, inflation is past its peak and measures taken by the government will reduce inflation by 0.4 percentage points in 2026-27, including by lowering energy bills by around £150 from next April for the average household, and freezing regulated rail fares and prescription charges.

- The Chancellor has reaffirmed the Bank of England’s 2% Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) inflation target.

- While the Bank has overall responsibility for returning inflation to target, the government is also fully committed to tackling inflation. The most effective lever to achieve this is through responsible fiscal strategy.

- Stable prices give businesses the confidence to invest and supports the independent BoE Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), who have cut Bank Rate six times since the election.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the use of AI deepfake videos impersonating doctors to spread health misinformation on social media platforms.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises the threat posed by artificial intelligence (AI) generated deepfake videos, particularly those impersonating medical professionals to disseminate health misinformation on social media platforms.

We urge the public to be conscious of where their information is coming from, and to prioritise health information published through official National Health Service and Department websites and their verified social media accounts. These channels are maintained to ensure the accuracy and reliability of clinically verified health advice, helping to safeguard the public from misleading or harmful content.

Furthermore, the Government is leveraging the Online Safety Act to require social media platforms to swiftly remove misleading and potentially harmful content, including AI deepfakes that spread health misinformation. We are actively working in partnership with Ofcom, the United Kingdom’s communications regulator, to ensure that online platforms comply with these requirements and uphold the highest standards of safety and information integrity. This collaborative approach aims to protect individuals from digital misinformation and maintain public trust in vital health communications.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to mitigate the impact of resident doctors’ industrial action on NHS capacity and patient safety during the winter period.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government made a comprehensive offer to resident doctors in writing on 8 December 2025. The offer included a range of measures, such as introducing emergency legislation to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates, increasing the number of training posts over the next three years, and measures which would put money back in doctors’ pockets. The offer was rejected by the British Medical Association (BMA) resident doctor membership on 15 December 2025.

As a result, planned strikes from 17 to 22 December went ahead, posing risks to the National Health Service during a critical period. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has taken all possible steps to prevent these strikes, including offering to extend the BMA’s mandate to allow further consultation.

The Department and the NHS are now focused on managing the combined challenges of flu and industrial action, having already vaccinated 17 million people, 170,000 more than last year, and 60,000 more NHS staff, and are working closely with frontline leaders to prepare for disruption.

An operational response, led by NHS England, is stood up to prepare and mitigate the impacts of strikes and to ensure patient safety is maintained. As has always been the case, employers will seek to mitigate the impact of any industrial action, including seeking to agree voluntary patient safety mitigations with trade unions at a local or national level with support from NHS England, and rearranging elective care, as appropriate, to maintain urgent services.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the rise in the UK unemployment rate to 5.1 per cent between August and October 2025; and what steps they are taking to support employment opportunities for young people.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The UK’s unemployment rate is now 5.1%.

But since the start of 2025 363,000 more people are in employment – outweighing the increase in unemployment over the same period (280,000).

At the end of the last Government the UK was the only country with economic inactivity higher - rather than lower - than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, we have seen a significant fall in economic inactivity as people reengage with the labour market. Our economic inactivity rate (21.0%) has fallen to its joint lowest level in over five years (and was last lower in January to March 2020).

The Government’s number one mission is to grow the economy and raise living standards across the UK. However, almost one million young people across the UK are currently not in education, employment, or training (NEET). That is why our manifesto set out the ambition to transform young people’s prospects by ensuring every one of them has the chance to earn or learn through a Youth Guarantee.

We have already taken the first steps towards delivering a Youth Guarantee, to ensure that all 16–24-year-olds in Great Britain can access support to find work, training, or an apprenticeship. We have launched Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, announced funding to almost double our Youth Hubs across Great Britain, and we recently launched an Independent Report into Young People and Work, to identify potential areas for reform to better support young people with health conditions and disabilities.

We are now going further through an expansion of the Youth Guarantee. This expansion is backed by a £820 million investment over the Spending Review period to reach almost 900,000 young people, including through Youth Hubs in every area in Great Britain and a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, offering a dedicated session and follow-up support to 16-24–year-olds on Universal Credit. This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training and provide guaranteed jobs to around 55,000 young people aged 18-21.

Taken together, these measures show the Government’s commitment to backing young people, transforming lives, driving the economy and ensuring background is no barrier to success. Delivered in partnership with local government and devolved authorities, they will ensure no young person falls through the cracks.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support banks to overcome the barriers to the adoption of advanced fintech and artificial intelligence systems posed by outdated information technology infrastructure.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government believes that the safe adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) by the financial services (FS) sector is a major strategic opportunity, with the potential to power growth across the UK. This includes banking which, as highlighted in the AI in Financial Services Survey led by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England, already benefits from AI innovations. Use cases mentioned include cyber security and fraud detection functions.

The government and the regulators are taking a pro-innovation stance to AI regulation across the economy including in financial services; and we are committed to continuing engagement with the sector and working with the regulators to monitor developments.

As part of the government’s Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, the government will shortly be appointing a Financial Services AI Champion to act as a catalyst for AI adoption and innovation in the sector.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the participation of the UK's software and technology sectors in initial public offerings and the implications of this for the UK's fintech ecosystem.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government has delivered an ambitious programme of reforms to make it easier for all firms, including fintechs, to list and raise capital on UK markets. This includes overhauling the Prospectus Regime and Listing Rules, providing more flexibility to firms and founders raising capital on UK markets.

At Mansion House, the Chancellor also announced the formation of a Listings Taskforce, to support businesses to list and grow in the UK, and the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, which sets out a comprehensive package of reforms to maintain the UK’s global leadership in Fintech. Officials and ministers regularly engage with industry leaders on sector developments.

The Government does not usually comment on specific movements in financial markets.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recent trends in UK equity fund outflows and changes in investor asset allocation, and the implications for UK capital markets and investment.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government has delivered an ambitious programme of reforms to make it easier for all firms, including fintechs, to list and raise capital on UK markets. This includes overhauling the Prospectus Regime and Listing Rules, providing more flexibility to firms and founders raising capital on UK markets.

At Mansion House, the Chancellor also announced the formation of a Listings Taskforce, to support businesses to list and grow in the UK, and the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, which sets out a comprehensive package of reforms to maintain the UK’s global leadership in Fintech. Officials and ministers regularly engage with industry leaders on sector developments.

The Government does not usually comment on specific movements in financial markets.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that businesses planning AI investment can access appropriate digital infrastructure and skills training.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government is committed to facilitating the diffusion of AI across the whole of the UK by addressing the barriers to adoption faced by businesses and workers. DSIT is working with DfE and Skills England to assess the AI skills gap and map pathways to fill it and recently announced a joint commitment with industry to upskill 7.5 million workers by 2030 with vital AI skills.

Through the Industrial Strategy the government is taking steps to boost access to digital infrastructure such by supporting strategic demand projects to connect to the grid. UK businesses can also access the AI Research Resource which offers free access to high-performance AI compute, with dedicated user support and skills development to help UK-based start‑ups and SMEs experiment, innovate, and scale.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of AI on the labour market, and how that assessment informs their policies on training, skills and labour market resilience.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The government is committed to ensuring that people have access to good, meaningful work. This involves adapting to structural changes in the labour market, including the emergence of new technology and other changes. While AI-driven changes in the labour market may bring challenges, they also offer new opportunities for economic growth, job creation, and increased productivity.

We are already witnessing AI’s impact on the labour market: transforming the workplace, demanding new skills and changing the jobs landscape. We continue to monitor trends in the labour market as the impact of AI evolves. We remain mindful of this impact and its effect on the UK workforce and DWP customers, whilst working to harness the benefits that AI can bring.

We are continuing to deliver our Get Britain Working reforms to ensure we provide people with access to good work and training opportunities fit for the future. DWP has a strong track record of supporting people to re-skill (where needed) to re-enter work.

Government funds post-16 education, training and qualifications through 16-19 funding, the Adult Skills Fund and apprenticeships. This can support people at all stages of their lives to train and reskill in a range of sectors – including in response to changes in technology such as AI.

Government is investing £187 million to bring digital and AI learning into classrooms and support over 4,000 graduates, researchers, and innovators in areas like AI, cyber security and computer science. We will train 7.5 million UK workers in essential AI skills by 2030 through our new industry partnership with major tech players. Skills England is working with DSIT to mobilise the government-industry partnership that will deliver on this commitment.