Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how her Department ensures compliance with data protection requirements relating to the processing of special category data, including data relating to health or protected characteristics.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department ensures compliance with data protection requirements relating to the processing of special category personal data, including data concerning health and protected characteristics, in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.
The department processes special category data only where there is a lawful basis and a relevant condition for processing under Articles 6 and 9 and of the UK GDPR. The department has appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard data, including access controls, data minimisation, secure storage arrangements, and regular monitoring of compliance.
Where processing is likely to present a high risk to individual’s rights, the department undertakes Data Protection Impact Assessments to identify and mitigate risks. Staff receive mandatory data protection and information security training, supported by specialist advice from the department's Data Protection team.
The department also maintains privacy notices and an Appropriate Policy Document, where required, to support transparency and accountability. Compliance arrangements are kept under regular review to ensure processing remains necessary, proportionate and consistent with legal requirements.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, given the passage of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 what measures are in place to ensure that human oversight is substantive and effective, rather than limited to formal or nominal review.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not use automated decision-making systems to make, or support the making of, decisions relating to staff, citizens or recruitment where outcomes are determined without meaningful human involvement. Similarly, the department does not use automated decision-making systems to make employment-related decisions concerning civil servants. This includes decisions relating to performance management, disciplinary action, or the allocation of work. Accordingly, the specific issues raised regarding automated decision-making, human review, oversight arrangements, bias mitigation, trade union consultation, challenge mechanisms and compliance with the provisions of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 are not applicable to the department’s current operations.
The department keeps its use of digital technologies under review and would ensure that any future deployment of automated decision-making systems complies with data protection legislation, regulatory standards and guidance, including requirements relating to transparency, accountability, fairness, human oversight and individuals’ rights to review and challenge decisions where relevant.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, given the passage of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 how individuals are informed that decisions affecting them have been taken, in whole or in part, by automated means.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not use automated decision-making systems to make, or support the making of, decisions relating to staff, citizens or recruitment where outcomes are determined without meaningful human involvement. Similarly, the department does not use automated decision-making systems to make employment-related decisions concerning civil servants. This includes decisions relating to performance management, disciplinary action, or the allocation of work. Accordingly, the specific issues raised regarding automated decision-making, human review, oversight arrangements, bias mitigation, trade union consultation, challenge mechanisms and compliance with the provisions of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 are not applicable to the department’s current operations.
The department keeps its use of digital technologies under review and would ensure that any future deployment of automated decision-making systems complies with data protection legislation, regulatory standards and guidance, including requirements relating to transparency, accountability, fairness, human oversight and individuals’ rights to review and challenge decisions where relevant.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what safeguards have been implemented to ensure compliance with statutory requirements relating to automated decision-making, including rights to information, human review, and challenge.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not use automated decision-making systems to make, or support the making of, decisions relating to staff, citizens or recruitment where outcomes are determined without meaningful human involvement. Similarly, the department does not use automated decision-making systems to make employment-related decisions concerning civil servants. This includes decisions relating to performance management, disciplinary action, or the allocation of work. Accordingly, the specific issues raised regarding automated decision-making, human review, oversight arrangements, bias mitigation, trade union consultation, challenge mechanisms and compliance with the provisions of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 are not applicable to the department’s current operations.
The department keeps its use of digital technologies under review and would ensure that any future deployment of automated decision-making systems complies with data protection legislation, regulatory standards and guidance, including requirements relating to transparency, accountability, fairness, human oversight and individuals’ rights to review and challenge decisions where relevant.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what processes are in place to enable individuals to seek human review and to challenge decisions made by automated systems.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not use automated decision-making systems to make, or support the making of, decisions relating to staff, citizens or recruitment where outcomes are determined without meaningful human involvement. Similarly, the department does not use automated decision-making systems to make employment-related decisions concerning civil servants. This includes decisions relating to performance management, disciplinary action, or the allocation of work. Accordingly, the specific issues raised regarding automated decision-making, human review, oversight arrangements, bias mitigation, trade union consultation, challenge mechanisms and compliance with the provisions of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 are not applicable to the department’s current operations.
The department keeps its use of digital technologies under review and would ensure that any future deployment of automated decision-making systems complies with data protection legislation, regulatory standards and guidance, including requirements relating to transparency, accountability, fairness, human oversight and individuals’ rights to review and challenge decisions where relevant.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how her Department define and ensure meaningful human involvement in decisions supported or made by automated systems.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not use automated decision-making systems to make, or support the making of, decisions relating to staff, citizens or recruitment where outcomes are determined without meaningful human involvement. Similarly, the department does not use automated decision-making systems to make employment-related decisions concerning civil servants. This includes decisions relating to performance management, disciplinary action, or the allocation of work. Accordingly, the specific issues raised regarding automated decision-making, human review, oversight arrangements, bias mitigation, trade union consultation, challenge mechanisms and compliance with the provisions of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 are not applicable to the department’s current operations.
The department keeps its use of digital technologies under review and would ensure that any future deployment of automated decision-making systems complies with data protection legislation, regulatory standards and guidance, including requirements relating to transparency, accountability, fairness, human oversight and individuals’ rights to review and challenge decisions where relevant.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Department maintains a public register or internal inventory of automated decision-making systems; and whether it plans to publish such information.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not use automated decision-making systems to make, or support the making of, decisions relating to staff, citizens or recruitment where outcomes are determined without meaningful human involvement. Similarly, the department does not use automated decision-making systems to make employment-related decisions concerning civil servants. This includes decisions relating to performance management, disciplinary action, or the allocation of work. Accordingly, the specific issues raised regarding automated decision-making, human review, oversight arrangements, bias mitigation, trade union consultation, challenge mechanisms and compliance with the provisions of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 are not applicable to the department’s current operations.
The department keeps its use of digital technologies under review and would ensure that any future deployment of automated decision-making systems complies with data protection legislation, regulatory standards and guidance, including requirements relating to transparency, accountability, fairness, human oversight and individuals’ rights to review and challenge decisions where relevant.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, to what extent are automated decision-making systems used in relation to civil service employment, including recruitment, performance management, discipline, or allocation of work.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not use automated decision-making systems to make, or support the making of, decisions relating to staff, citizens or recruitment where outcomes are determined without meaningful human involvement. Similarly, the department does not use automated decision-making systems to make employment-related decisions concerning civil servants. This includes decisions relating to performance management, disciplinary action, or the allocation of work. Accordingly, the specific issues raised regarding automated decision-making, human review, oversight arrangements, bias mitigation, trade union consultation, challenge mechanisms and compliance with the provisions of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 are not applicable to the department’s current operations.
The department keeps its use of digital technologies under review and would ensure that any future deployment of automated decision-making systems complies with data protection legislation, regulatory standards and guidance, including requirements relating to transparency, accountability, fairness, human oversight and individuals’ rights to review and challenge decisions where relevant.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with trade union representatives on the introduction or use of automated decision-making systems affecting staff.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not use automated decision-making systems to make, or support the making of, decisions relating to staff, citizens or recruitment where outcomes are determined without meaningful human involvement. Similarly, the department does not use automated decision-making systems to make employment-related decisions concerning civil servants. This includes decisions relating to performance management, disciplinary action, or the allocation of work. Accordingly, the specific issues raised regarding automated decision-making, human review, oversight arrangements, bias mitigation, trade union consultation, challenge mechanisms and compliance with the provisions of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 are not applicable to the department’s current operations.
The department keeps its use of digital technologies under review and would ensure that any future deployment of automated decision-making systems complies with data protection legislation, regulatory standards and guidance, including requirements relating to transparency, accountability, fairness, human oversight and individuals’ rights to review and challenge decisions where relevant.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps has her Department taken to assess and mitigate risks of bias or discrimination arising from the use of automated decision-making systems.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not use automated decision-making systems to make, or support the making of, decisions relating to staff, citizens or recruitment where outcomes are determined without meaningful human involvement. Similarly, the department does not use automated decision-making systems to make employment-related decisions concerning civil servants. This includes decisions relating to performance management, disciplinary action, or the allocation of work. Accordingly, the specific issues raised regarding automated decision-making, human review, oversight arrangements, bias mitigation, trade union consultation, challenge mechanisms and compliance with the provisions of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 are not applicable to the department’s current operations.
The department keeps its use of digital technologies under review and would ensure that any future deployment of automated decision-making systems complies with data protection legislation, regulatory standards and guidance, including requirements relating to transparency, accountability, fairness, human oversight and individuals’ rights to review and challenge decisions where relevant.