Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how they expect their proposed changes to welfare payments in England to encourage more people into the workforce; and what is their estimate of the number of individuals who will enter the workforce as a result of those changes.

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

The reform proposals set out in the Pathways to Work Green paper on 18 March 2025, mean that people will get more support into work. We will rebalance payments in Universal Credit, offer help for people to get into work as quickly as possible and deliver the first ever permanent, above inflation rise to the standard allowance of UC. As part of rebalancing spending towards work over welfare, we will invest an additional £1 billion a year by 2029/30 to shape a new package of employment, health and skills support to make the system pro-work and reduce perverse incentives.

The changes we are consulting on are intended to galvanise a cultural shift towards more inclusive and accessible workplaces. We want to ensure that we target Government support to maximise the number of people we support. Together with the wider range of measures announced in Get Britain Working, we aim to increase the overall number of people in work. As we develop the reform proposals, we want to ensure that we are maximising existing opportunities in Government and the Department to create accessible and inclusive workplaces. We will consider how any new model would work alongside existing schemes.

All our plans are based on strong evidence of how support can make a real difference to individuals and have enough of an employment impact to provide a healthy return on the investment. Crucially, there is now strong evidence about the types of support that are effective in improving employment outcomes – Work Choice, which provided intensive employment support to disabled people, had a significant and enduring impact with participants 40% more likely to still be in work after eight years had passed. More detail will be announced in due course.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the significance of data intermediaries for the digital economy, and of the potential for cyber attacks to disrupt their services.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

As the government outlined in the Industrial Strategy Green Paper, there is significant potential for data to support economic growth. Our evidence indicates that improved data access and use could contribute to UK productivity growth by 0.23% to 1.26% annually.

Achieving these productivity gains requires greater data maturity across the economy. Data intermediaries are likely to play an important role in enabling individuals to get more out of data they generate and stimulate growth through increasing access to data in trusted and secure ways.

The government is currently inviting evidence on the activities of Data Intermediaries to understand this potential and any risks.

Cyber security is a priority for the government, which is why we are taking a range of action to protect organisations and services against cyber attacks, including through the forthcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of racial abuse directed at Premier League footballers on social media and whether it is increasing or decreasing; and what steps they are taking to ensure repercussions for such behaviour.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Although the government does not hold this specific information centrally, we remain extremely concerned by online racism and will continue working with the sports sector to tackle this.

The Online Safety Act offers better protections for public figures online. Public order offences including harassment are priority offences under the Act, requiring companies to proactively search for, remove and limit people’s exposure to such content and activity. The Act also introduced a threatening communications offence, capturing communications conveying a serious threat of harm or death, with a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment, a fine, or both.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of autonomous maritime mine-hunting vessels; and what plans they have to use similar technology to patrol the English Channel.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Royal Navy has been using a range of unmanned underwater vehicles to detect sea mines since 2005 and is investing in several autonomous mine-hunting capabilities. The Royal Navy does not routinely comment on future operational plans due to operational security reasons.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce regulation to ensure the safe use of artificial intelligence technologies in healthcare.

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

Ensuring technologies are safe is a top priority. To ensure the regulatory pathway is clear for both developers and adopters, the Department has supported the launch of numerous regulatory projects such as the AI and Digital Regulation Service (AIDRS) and the AI Airlock.

The AIDRS collaborates between the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Health Research Authority, and the Care Quality Commission. The service, by providing a collaborative ‘one stop shop’ of information, advice, and guidance, allows adopters and developers of artificial intelligence (AI) to easily understand what regulatory and evaluation pathways need to be followed before an AI tool can be safety deployed across health and care.

The AI Airlock is an MHRA-led initiative, supported by the NHS AI Lab, designed to create a controlled testing environment where developers can rigorously validate AI tools in real-world clinical settings before full-scale deployment, ensuring they meet National Health Service standards for safety, efficacy, and integration into existing healthcare workflows. The AI Airlock fosters collaboration between developers, regulators, and healthcare providers, and reduces the risks associated with early-stage implementation while providing valuable feedback for developers to refine their products.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to attract more private investment into the UK for the construction of new AI data centres.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

This Government is committed to supporting data centre builds in the UK and removing barriers to sustainable development, including reviewing and improving grid connections and exploring other ways to provide capacity.

Since last July, over £40 billion has been announced in private investment in new data centres in the UK. In January, the Prime Minister launched the AI Opportunities Action Plan, which included plans to develop AI Growth Zones, dedicated hubs designed to fast-track AI infrastructure development, support planning approvals, and unlock energy access.

More widely, we are streamlining planning rules to accelerate buildout, have designated the sector as Critical National Infrastructure, and are introducing a stable regulatory environment to improve security and resilience.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that artificial intelligence technologies are used beneficially in education, and in particular to ensure that students from lower-income backgrounds have equal access to such technologies.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

Effective use of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) can power the future of learning by improving access to education and outcomes, reducing staff workload and running operations more efficiently.

Important developments in AI education policy in England include our updated policy paper on the use of generative AI in education, which sets out this government’s core messages on AI use in education. The paper reinforces key messages on safety and provides updated information on intellectual property and data protection considerations as well as regulator approaches.

In January 2025, to ensure the safety of our children, the department announced that leading global tech firms had jointly committed to making AI tools for education safer by design. Google, Microsoft, Adobe and Amazon Web Services are amongst the firms who have helped develop a set of expectations AI tools should meet to be considered safe for classroom use.

To support a clear ask from teachers and leaders, the department is developing online resources and guidance to help teachers and leaders use AI safely in their setting. This will be published in spring.

The department will also be appointing a task and finish group to advise on digital, AI and technology in order to increase the future pipeline of talent with digital and AI specific skills and prepare children and young people to be ready for an AI and tech-enabled world, as well as making the most of opportunities to use AI and educational technology (EdTech) to drive better teaching and learning.

In addition to this work with schools and colleges, the government is committed to ensuring that everyone has the skills, access, support and confidence to engage in our modern digital society and economy, whatever their circumstances. That is why we are working closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), who recently published an action plan on digital inclusion. The full publication can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-inclusion-action-plan-first-steps/digital-inclusion-action-plan-first-steps.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the closure of high street bank branches on consumers, particularly older people.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Banking has changed significantly in recent years with many customers benefiting from the ease and convenience of remote banking. While branch closures are commercial decisions for banks, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) guidance expects firms to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs and put in place alternatives where reasonable. This seeks to ensure that branch closures are implemented in a way that treats customers fairly.

The FCA requires firms to provide a prompt, efficient, and fair service to all of their customers. This includes special considerations for vulnerable customers, such as the elderly and disabled. Additionally, under the Equality Act 2010, banks must make reasonable adjustments to ensure their services are accessible to all.

Where a branch closure is announced, LINK (the operator of the UK’s largest ATM network) assesses a community’s access to cash withdrawal and deposit facilities on behalf of the UK’s largest high street banks. LINK takes into consideration a wide range of criteria, such as the size and vulnerability of the population, existing and remaining cash access facilities, the number of shops and how many older people live nearby. Following this independent assessment, LINK will decide whether to recommend any additional services, such as a banking hub.

The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 220 hubs have been announced so far, and over 135 are already open.

Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to strengthen trade relations with the United States of America, particularly in the technology and digital sectors.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK-US relationship is already very strong, with trade worth £315 billion in 2024, and shared investment of over £1.2 trillion at the end of 2023.

As you will be aware, on Tuesday 18 March, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade met with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and the Special Envoy to the UK Mark Burnett in Washington DC. The meeting followed last month’s agreement between the Prime Minister and President Trump that teams would start working together on an Economic Prosperity Deal, building on our shared strengths and commitment to economic security.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ways in which artificial intelligence technologies can be used to predict, and plan resourcing for managing, natural disasters.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra is the Lead Government Department in England with risk ownership for air quality, drought and flooding hazards. MHCLG lead on earthquake and wildfire hazards. The Met Office lead on storms, high temperatures, heatwaves, cold temperatures, snow and severe space weather hazards.

Defra is keen to make use of Artificial Intelligence to improve its capability to reduce harm from natural hazards. Defra is upskilling staff members to make appropriate use of Artificial Intelligence and will be examining how to strengthen its resilience capabilities.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) increase the number of data centres and (2) expand the availability of green energy to improve the infrastructure that supports artificial intelligence technology.

Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is taking several steps to increase the number of data centres and expand the availability of green energy to support AI technology infrastructure. Policies such as AI Growth Zones are being implemented to encourage the development of AI data centres. The Government is committed to including data centres as part of its strategic energy plans and the Department is working closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in setting up the AI Energy Council. The Council will have senior representatives from both the energy and AI industry to ensure the growth of AI and data centres in the UK is done in a way that supports our clean power mission and longer-term decarbonisation goals.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Institute for Public Policy Research, Who is Losing Learning? Finding Solutions to the School Engagement Crisis, published on 18 March; and what steps they are taking to address the loss of engagement in education.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The department welcomes the recommendations from the Institute for Public Policy Research’s report and will take the findings into consideration. This government’s ambition is that all children and young people receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life, and we are taking action to realise this across the system.

The government is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools. The department will drive a consistent and inclusive approach to supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities through early identification, effective support, high quality teaching and effective allocation of resources. By prioritising early intervention and inclusive provision in mainstream settings, our ambition is to improve outcomes for this cohort across key measures including attainment, absence and sustained employment.

The department has expanded its attendance mentor programme to cover a total of 17 areas, with a £15 million investment, directly supporting pupils and their families with the barriers to attendance. Attendance is also one of the first national priorities of our regional improvement for standards and excellence teams.

Free breakfast clubs will also be offered in every state-funded school with primary-aged pupils, supporting children’s attendance and attainment and enabling them to thrive academically and socially.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that increased employer National Insurance contributions will lead to fewer jobs being available; and how this will affect individuals seeking employment.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Office for Budget Responsibility’s March 2025 Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO) forecasts that, with all policies considered, the employment level will increase from 33.6 million in 2024 to 34.8 million in 2029.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce further legislation to regulate the cryptocurrency market.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has confirmed that it will proceed with introducing a new financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets in the UK. The Government is seeking to bring forward legislation to create this regime as early as possible this year.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure access to accurate and up-to-date statistics, following reports of delays and mistakes in releases of data from the Office for National Statistics.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.

Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician

The Lord Taylor of Warwick

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

31 March 2025

Dear Lord Taylor,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what steps have been taken to ensure access to accurate and up-to-date statistics, following reports of delays and mistakes in releases of data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) (HL6081).

In recent months, as part of routine quality assurance, the ONS identified issues with some of our statistical outputs, resulting in a small number of publications being delayed. Prioritising quality in our statistics is at the forefront of what we do. As such, we are consistently improving systems, investing in quality assurance, and undertaking vital transformation programmes. Further steps to ensure quality in our statistics will be communicated in our 2025/26 Strategic Business Plan. In early April, we will also be publishing our new survey strategy. This will build upon our existing surveys recovery plan, and will chart the pathway to a robust, sustainable survey system that can deliver the critical data required by Government and other key stakeholders.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the announced increase in defence spending, what steps they are taking to research artificial intelligence technologies and encourage their implementation in defence programmes.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

AI (and the autonomy it enables) has potential to transform every aspect of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the Armed Forces. Rapid and scaled adoption of these technologies is a key Defence priority and significant work is underway across the Department, including over 400 AI-related projects and programmes.

MOD’s efforts to harness AI are cohered through the Defence AI Centre - a partnership between Defence Digital, Defence Equipment and Support and Dstl. Dstl’s Science and Technology research capabilities therefore underpin our approach to AI, helping to ensure that the MOD understand key technological developments while also developing the standards, tooling and Test and Evaluation capabilities to adopt and use AI-enabled systems safely and responsibly.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how apprenticeship schemes can stimulate economic growth by attracting more young people into the workforce.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The government is committed to spreading opportunities and economic growth with the support of a strong skills system, including apprenticeships.

Apprenticeships for young people generate significant economic value. The department estimates that £56,000 and £104,000 of economic value is created per 16 to 18-year-old who start an apprenticeship at level 2 or level 3 respectively. More information can be found in ‘The net present value of further education in England 2021 to 2022’, which is attached and can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67adc0ba69d39abb04adce22/The_net_present_value_of_further_education_in_England_2021_to_2022_.pdf.

Too many young people are struggling to access high-quality opportunities and this government wants to ensure that more young people can undertake apprenticeships. We are developing new foundation apprenticeships, which will be a work-based training offer that will provide young people with clear progression pathways into further work-based training and employment. The department is working closely with employers and providers to design foundation apprenticeships that give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working lives, whilst supporting the pipeline of new talent that employers will need to drive economic growth.

Construction will be one of the key sectors that will benefit from new foundation apprenticeships, which will be launching in August 2025. This will inspire more young people into the construction industry and allow them to progress and specialise in advanced apprenticeships, giving them the tools they need for a sustained and rewarding career. As part of this new offer, employers will be provided with £2,000 for every foundation apprentice they take on and retain in the construction industry, on top of fully funding the training costs through the new growth and skills levy.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage the video game industry to increase (1) diversity of characters shown in games, and (2) the diversity of main characters in games.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government has announced £5.5 million funding for the UK Games Fund (UKGF) for 2025/26, which will provide grants to early-stage studios across the UK to develop prototypes and new intellectual property, and run development programmes for new graduates. The Fund includes diversity criteria in its assessment process for grant funding and encourages applicants to consider the British Film Institute’s Diversity Standards

Video games companies can also benefit from the Video Games Expenditure Credit, and can access support from the Create Growth Programme and UK Global Screen Fund, all of which require applicants to consider diversity criteria.

In January, the British Business Bank also committed to increase its support for the UK’s Creative Industries, including video games, to help them realise their full growth potential.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve access to investment and funding for video game developers in the UK, particularly those from under-represented groups.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government has announced £5.5 million funding for the UK Games Fund (UKGF) for 2025/26, which will provide grants to early-stage studios across the UK to develop prototypes and new intellectual property, and run development programmes for new graduates. The Fund includes diversity criteria in its assessment process for grant funding and encourages applicants to consider the British Film Institute’s Diversity Standards

Video games companies can also benefit from the Video Games Expenditure Credit, and can access support from the Create Growth Programme and UK Global Screen Fund, all of which require applicants to consider diversity criteria.

In January, the British Business Bank also committed to increase its support for the UK’s Creative Industries, including video games, to help them realise their full growth potential.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding in the report published on 25 March by Offshore Energies UK, Business Outlook Report 2025, that by 2050 the UK could produce half of its projected demand for oil and gas.

Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

On its website, the North Sea Transition Authority publishes projections on oil and gas production and demand, and reports on remaining reserves and resources.

The offshore basin is mature. The most accessible hydrocarbons have already been extracted. Future licences would not meaningfully increase production, nor change our status as a net importer of oil and gas. Nevertheless, oil and gas will be with us for decades, and the Government will continue to support existing fields.

Our priority is to deliver a fair, orderly and prosperous transition to clean energy industries, driving towards energy security, lower bills, and good, long-term jobs.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the video game industry, particularly in regard to tax relief schemes for companies.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government recognises that the creative industries, including the video games sector, play a key role in driving economic growth. As part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy, a creative industries sector plan will be developed, working with business, local leaders, and sector experts.

The Government supports the video games sector through the tax system and through funding. Video games companies benefit from the Video Games Expenditure Credit, which provides a generous tax credit of 34 per cent on UK video games development costs.

In addition, companies may benefit from the £5.5 million UK Games Fund, which helps high-potential start-ups scale-up.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need to invest in emerging artificial intelligence technologies to help boost productivity in the UK.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that while the exact economic impact hinges on the wider development and adoption of AI, the UK could see productivity gains of up to 1.5 percent annually. By investing in AI now, we’re ensuring that the UK is prepared to harness its transformative potential.

To encourage widespread adoption, we are targeting high-growth Industrial Strategy sectors and supporting diffusion across the whole economy by appointing AI Sector champions. The Technology Adoption Review will also set out recommendations for how government should work with industry to support businesses to adopt AI.

This builds on Innovate UK's £100 million BridgeAI programme, which has so far provided £68 million in funding to nearly 800 businesses to boost AI-enabled productivity.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to obtain usable data from legacy systems to enable the Civil Service to incorporate more artificial intelligence technology into its operating procedures.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

HMG is committed to adopting AI to increase efficiency and quality of services. All departments are promoted to explore all of their existing data sets from all sources to find opportunities for innovation as part of the 'Scan, Pilot, Scale' approach set out in the AI opportunities plan. Further work is being scoped to look into data quality from both cloud and legacy services as part of the 'Lay the foundations of AI' mission also set out in the AI Opportunities Plan.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the introduction of 25 per cent tariffs on European car imports to the United States, and (2) the impact of those tariffs on UK car exports.

Answered by Baroness Gustafsson - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

We’re disappointed by the decision to impose global tariffs of 25% on the auto imports and know this will be deeply concerning for our automotive sector. We support our automotive industry, and in the first instance we will continue to pursue a deal that works for both us and the US.

We have backed the auto sector with £2 billion to support the transition of domestic manufacturing and £300 million announced in the Budget to drive uptake of electric vehicles. We will also use our Industrial Strategy to strengthen UK automotive competitiveness.

This government is clear that we will always do what is necessary to defend the UK’s national interest. This is why the government has launched a request for input from businesses to help shape our response to US tariffs.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Resolution Foundation titled Happy new tax year 2025 published on 3 April which indicates that household income will fall by £400.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government’s Plan for Change outlines our goal to raise living standards across the United Kingdom. The measure of living standards used in the Government’s Plan for Change milestones is real household disposable income (RHDI) per person.

In the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) March 2025 forecast, RHDI per person is expected to rise over this parliament – twice as fast compared to the previous parliament, which was the worst on record for living standards growth.

The Resolution Foundation report uses an alternative measure of living standards, rather than the more widely used RHDI per person. This measure excludes some categories of income and some groups that would be included in living standards as measured by RHDI per person.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure connections to the electricity grid are sufficient to attract investment in artificial intelligence data centre infrastructure.

Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is working with Ofgem and NESO to deliver fundamental reform to the grid connections process. Subject to Ofgem’s final decision this could release over 400GW of capacity from the connection queue, which will accelerate connections for AI data centres.

The Government have also sought expressions of interest to identify promising locations which can benefit overall grid infrastructure whilst still having quick project development times to remain attractive for infrastructure investment.

The Government is also setting up the AI Energy Council, through which senior representatives from both the energy industry and the AI industry will look at where best to locate AI data centres and proactively manage the energy requirements of AI. These efforts work in tandem with the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the infringement of copyright in generative artificial intelligence, and what steps they will take to address this.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Copying protected material in the UK will infringe copyright unless it is licensed, or an exception to copyright applies.

The Government recently consulted on several topics relating to the interaction between copyright and artificial intelligence (AI), including seeking views on the use of copyright material in AI model development.

This consultation closed on 25th February.

The Government’s priority now is to review all responses to the consultation, to help inform its next steps. The Government will continue to engage extensively on this issue and its proposals will be set out in due course

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-powered remote-monitoring systems in caring for dementia patients, and how this technology could reduce the cost of care.

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

Artificial intelligence powered remote monitoring technologies that can support people who draw on care, including those with dementia, are being piloted as part of the Adult Social Care Technology Fund. We will be publishing evidence from the pilots following their completion across 2025/26.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage firms to adopt artificial intelligence technologies to increase their efficiency and output.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government is taking targeted action to support firms across the UK to adopt artificial intelligence (AI), helping to drive productivity and economic growth.

We are delivering the 50 recommendations from the AI Opportunities Action Plan, to strengthen the UK AI ecosystem and boost adoption. This includes appointing AI Sector Champions, appointing respected figures from key industries to help raise awareness and support firms in their sector to adopt AI.

The Government has also announced the Technology Adoption Review at the Autumn Budget. This review will provide recommendations on how Government and industry can work together to fully realise AI’s potential in the private sector, accelerating AI adoption in the eight sectors most critical to UK growth, as well as facilitating widespread adoption across the rest of the economy, including addressing the specific barriers faced by SMEs.

Question

To ask the Leader of the House what assessment they have made of government departments using artificial intelligence assistance in answering Questions for Written Answer, and whether this affects the integrity of the answers.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

All written parliamentary questions are considered on a case by case basis. The Government does not have a specific policy on the use of AI for responding to written parliamentary questions, however staff do have access to AI software tools to support the drafting process. All responses are reviewed by policy officials to ensure accuracy and consistency with government policy, and parliamentary questions are signed off by Ministers.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the increase in minimum wage on 1 April on the number of job vacancies.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

As set out in the Impact Assessment accompanying the 2025 National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage (NLW) rates, the economic literature to date shows that increases to the NLW have had a limited impact on labour demand.

There were around 816,000 vacancies in December 2024 to February 2025, broadly unchanged on the quarter, based on the latest official data.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage more investment into British publicly traded companies.

Answered by Baroness Gustafsson - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The UK government has been taking action to boost investment in British publicly traded companies by promoting stability and delivering the reforms needed to support growth as set out in the Chancellor’s Mansion House speech last year.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the 10 percent tariffs that the United States of America has placed on United Kingdom imports; and how will this affect United Kingdom manufacturing and exports.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is disappointed by the announcement of an increase in tariffs, which are not in the UK’s national interest, and we understand businesses are concerned.

That is why the government has been focused on negotiating an economic deal with the United States, and we will continue to engage with the US to understand the details of how these tariffs will be implemented.

We remain resolute in our support for UK industry across the board. We have already heard from a number of business organisations including the CBI and the British Chamber of Commerce, that they support our approach and want us to continue working to secure an economic deal with the US. Ministers and officials will continue to meet with impacted stakeholders from a range of sectors.