Procedural Flexibility: Scrutiny of AI and Emerging Technology

Baroness Bull Excerpts

Thursday 22nd October 2026 Lords Chamber

[The Senior Deputy Speaker]

I thank the noble Lord for raising that and pointing it out to the House, which he did extremely effectively. I think many Members of the House, if not all, have at least dabbled—if I can put it that way—in AI. Last week, I was in Rome at the Council of Europe’s European Conference of Presidents of Parliament, which addressed AI. It is true that parliaments across Europe and the world are using AI in different ways. We are all finding our way in this; it is an ongoing learning experience. I thank the noble Lord for drawing that training to the House’s attention.

[Baroness Bull (CB)]

My Lords, effective scrutiny of future-facing risks and opportunities is not just about time but the full range and diversity of our membership. While I appreciate this falls outside the scope of the committee that is the subject of the Question, does the Senior Deputy Speaker agree that the House, and those people who make the decisions about membership, must do their best to ensure that we are fully equipped to face the future in the expertise we bring to the issues that we debate?

[The Senior Deputy Speaker]

That is an easy proposition to agree with. The noble Lord, Lord Nagaraju, brings his own expertise, which he demonstrated through this Question. In a sense, this House justifies itself by its expertise; I am sure that all the political parties and the Cross Benches are very conscious of that and want to maintain high standards within this House.