Department for Science, Information and Technology: Abolition

Viscount Camrose Excerpts

Tuesday 21st July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

The noble Baroness is absolutely right about my commitment to and passion about Northern Ireland. I will of course take every opportunity to have a cup of coffee with her. I plan on being in Northern Ireland over the Recess, subject to events, and we will do so then.

[Viscount Camrose (Con)]

My Lords, this appointment of an AI Minister to Cabinet indeed gives a timely prominence to AI policy-making, but does the Minister accept that it also removes a good deal of clarity? Who owns AI policy between DBIST, the Cabinet Office and the Minister himself? What will the AI taskforce do that these ministries will not, and is the purpose to develop new AI policies or to execute existing ones?

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

The noble Viscount is more than aware that the role of the Cabinet Office is to co-ordinate policy across government, hence the establishment of an AI taskforce to make that sure and to support the work of the new Minister. The Office for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet is being overseen directly by both the Prime Minister and the new First Secretary in the Government, while operational matters will be overseen by the Cabinet Secretary. This is about making sure that the Minister, who will obviously have responsibility for the co-ordination and ownership of AI policy, has the support he needs at the top levels of government.