Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when she plans to publish a response to the consultation entitled A pro-innovation approach to AI regulation.
Answered by Paul Scully
Government is moving quickly to establish the right guardrails for AI to drive responsible, safe innovation. In March, we published the AI Regulation White Paper which set out our first steps towards establishing a regulatory framework for AI.
We will be publishing our response to the consultation later this year, to ensure we can take into account the outcomes of the productive discussions of the AI Safety Summit held at the beginning of November.
Since publishing the White Paper, we have taken rapid steps to implement our approach. We have established a central AI risk function in DSIT which will ensure that we can identify, measure and monitor existing and emerging AI risks. We also announced the world’s first AI Safety Institute which will carefully examine, test and evaluate new types of AI. This builds on our investment of £100 million in the Frontier AI Taskforce – more funding for AI safety than any other country in the world.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Answer of 19 October 2023 to Question 202862 on Companies: Social Media, how many of the social media companies in question have provided written responses confirming the steps they are taking to tackle extremely violent and anti-Semitic content.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government held a roundtable with social companies including YouTube, Meta, X, TikTok and Snapchat on 11 October to discuss the ongoing conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
During this meeting, companies were asked to follow-up in writing to confirm the steps they are taking to tackle extremely violent and antisemitic content. These companies have all since followed up in writing. The Government continues to engage directly with individual companies and will keep the current approach under review.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to identify new uses for AI in the public sector.
Answered by Paul Scully
The UK government is taking a leading role promoting ethical, safe and responsible adoption of AI, as illustrated by our leadership of the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park last week. This includes the use of AI to improve public services and boost public sector productivity.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is looking to identify new uses for AI in the public sector. Examples include: the AI Life Sciences Accelerator Mission giving £100 million of funding to capitalise on AI’s game-changing potential in healthcare; the Department for Education providing up to £2million to Oak National Academy to improve and expand Artificial Intelligence tools for teachers; the Department of Health and Social Care using AI to identify language indicating mental distress in public social media posts and signposting people to a NHS-endorsed mental health service; and the Royal Navy using AI to connect with potential recruits faster through an AI-driven virtual recruiter.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many artificial intelligence researchers work in her Department.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Department currently has 14 researchers as part of the Frontier AI Taskforce but intends increase that number. The Frontier AI Taskforce was launched by the Prime Minister in June to build an AI research team inside government that can evaluate risk at the frontier of AI.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has received written responses from all the social media companies she met on 11 October 2023.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Government is continuing to work closely with social media companies to understand the policies and processes they have in place to prevent harmful and illegal content from being dispersed online, and their crisis management response.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is engaging with individual companies and will be keeping the approach under continual review.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 27 April 2022 to Question 156551 on Terrorism: Birmingham, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill on criminal investigations associated with the Troubles.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The UK Government is determined, through the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill, to deliver better outcomes for those most affected by the Troubles.
The Government's view is that the Independent Commission for Information Recovery and Reconciliation (ICRIR) established by the Bill should be the sole body responsible for Troubles-related cases. This will provide a more effective approach and ensure that the Police Service of Northern Ireland and GB police forces are able to focus their capabilities on addressing contemporary policing challenges.
That does not mean that all Troubles-related criminal investigations will cease. The Bill makes clear that the ICRIR will have all the necessary policing powers, with attendant coercive investigative measures, to conduct full, police-equivalent criminal investigations, more than capable of meeting the requirements of the UK’s international obligations.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to clause 37(3) of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill, whether he has received notifications from the (a) Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and (b) Chief officer of any police force in Great Britain of any active criminal investigations into Troubles-related offences as of 4 July 2023.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland Office regularly engages on legacy with a wide range of relevant stakeholders, including the PSNI, OPONI, PPS NI, and other operational partners. As part of this engagement, the Northern Ireland Office regularly receives updates on total caseloads and the status of active investigations into Troubles-related offences.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many staff in his Department are working in the secretariat for the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
As set out at the time of the announcement that Sir Declan Morgan had been identified as Chief Commissioner-designate of the ICRIR, and in line with the Cabinet Office Public Bodies Guidance, a dedicated secretariat, supporting the preparatory work being undertaken by Sir Declan, has been established as a separate business unit of the Northern Ireland Office. It has a separate budget and staffing and does not report to Northern Ireland Office Ministers. At present the secretariat is made up of 19 staff members.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to paragraph 310 of the Explanatory Notes to the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill, what funding previously set aside by the Government is to be used for the financial implications of that Bill.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
£250 million has been allocated to the implementation of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill and the non-legislative memorialisation measures announced alongside it. This will be drawn from funds set aside for legacy mechanisms under the Stormont House Agreement and the New Decade, New Approach agreement.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department plans to publish its response to the consultation entitled, Consistency in Household and Business Recycling in England, which closed on 4 July 2021.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Burton, on 7 June 2023, PQ UIN 188380.