Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the Adult Skills Fund allocation is in cash and real terms in each year from 2024-25 to 2028-29; and how much of it is directed to AI or digital skills.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Please find below the relevant information:

• Adult skills fund and adult education budget: devolved grant determination letters - GOV.UK
• Integrated Settlement funds for 2026 to 2030 - GOV.UK
• Adult education and skills funding allocations - GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what meetings UKRI has had with the China General Technology Research Institute since July 2024.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is not aware of any meetings with the China General Technology Research Institute since July 2024.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what is the (a) current and (b) planned (i) headcount and (ii) FTE staffing for the AI Security Institute.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The headcount of the AI Security Institute is 243, equivalent to 227.8 full time equivalent (FTE) posts (as at 12 October 2026). This includes over 100 technical frontier AI specialists in the Institute’s Research Unit.

The AI Security Institute’s future staffing is managed in line with the budget it was allocated in the Spending Review, and is kept under regular review so that it is resourced to deliver its priorities.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the River Thames Scheme in terms of a) reduced flooding risk and b) economic growth.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The River Thames Scheme is currently undertaking a reset to ensure it remains affordable, deliverable and provides value for money.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 18 June to PQ UIN 9730 for details on the benefits.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what is the planned timescale for the delivery of the River Thames Scheme and the key milestones for each remaining phase of the project.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The River Thames Scheme is currently undertaking a reset to ensure it remains affordable, deliverable and provides value for money.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 18 June to PQ UIN 9730 for details on the benefits.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Government intends to require data centres above a specified capacity to provide a minimum level of demand flexibility as a condition of grid connection.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is considering whether some very large electricity users, including data centres, should provide a defined minimum level of demand flexibility. This could be delivered through measures such as energy storage, low-carbon generation or shifting suitable workloads.

The Government is working with Ofgem, NESO and industry to ensure that any approach supports a secure and efficient electricity system while remaining proportionate and investable.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, on what date Ofgem and NESO will publish final decisions on demand connection reform; and when the list of strategically important demand projects will be published.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We are working with Ofgem and NESO to introduce demand reforms to manage speculation, accelerate viable demand connections and enable strategically important projects to be prioritised.

Government consulted on measures to prioritise strategic demand and will publish its response shortly. Alongside this, Ofgem consulted on measures, including a Data Centre Commitment Fee, and will publish its decision in due course.

We intend to publish the Strategic Framework setting out the scope, criteria and process for identifying projects for prioritisation in due course.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps are being taken by the National Energy Systems Operator to help ensure data centres which support essential services to the public and infrastructure have continual power supplies.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is committed to ensuring electricity networks can meet rising electricity demand, including from data centres, by deploying new renewable and low-carbon generation in line with the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan. Alongside this, government will ensure that supply continuously meets demand through the Capacity Market.

Government is also working with Ofgem, NESO and industry to explore how consumer-led flexibility can help to maintain a secure and efficient system as electricity demand increases.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the legal advice she has received relating to local government reorganisation also pertains to Surrey.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Secretary of State’s statement on Monday 7 September did not concern Surrey. East Surrey Council and West Surrey Council have been established in law and will assume the full range of local authority functions on 1 April 2027. It is longstanding principle that the Government does not comment on or publish legal advice.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether there has been any expenditure on consultancy in relation to the machinery of government changes to the Department within the last six months.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Department has not had any consultancy expenditure in relation to the machinery of government changes to the Department within the last six months.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what consideration has been given to the potential merits of requiring new data centres above a threshold capacity to provide on-site dispatchable generation or storage as a condition of connection, as adopted by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities in Ireland.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government has considered a range of international approaches, including Ireland’s, as part of its work on integrating growing data centre demand securely and efficiently. Officials are working with industry, NESO and Ofgem to explore a range of options for ensuring large electricity users support a secure and efficient electricity system, including the potential role of on-site storage, low carbon generation and demand-side measures.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 16 September 2026 to Question 28747, whether projected demand from data centres is included in water companies' water resource management plans; and what the Environment Agency's projection is for that demand in each water resource zone to 2040.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Through statutory water resources management plans, water companies forecast and plan for future non-household demand and maintain resilient supplies - including data centres. The Government works with the Environment Agency, industry, and water companies to understand demand and ensure planning reflects this.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students were enrolled on undergraduate and postgraduate courses in artificial intelligence, computer science and data science in each academic year since 2021-22; and what proportion were international.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is responsible for collecting and publishing data on the UK higher education (HE) sector.

Table 52 of HESA’s ‘Higher Education Student Statistics: UK, 2024/25’ presents the number of student enrolments at UK HE providers, disaggregated by subject of study, permanent address of the student, and an option to select the level of study and academic year in a drop-down menu. Further details are available at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-52.

HESA collects data on subjects categorised according to the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS). HECoS does include artificial intelligence (CAH 11-01-05) and computer science (CAH 11-01-01) as distinct subjects. While data science does not have a specific classification assigned to it, information is alternatively collected for students studying data management (HECoS 100755) and statistics (HECoS 100406).

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, by what instrument the milestones in the National Cyber Security Centre's guidance Timelines for migration to post-quantum cryptography of 20 March 2025 are given effect for government departments and arm's length bodies.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government Cyber Action Plan (GCAP), published in 2026, sets out the responsibilities for improving cyber resilience within Government departments and arm's length bodies. Under the GCAP, Accounting Officers are accountable for ensuring their organisations meet agreed cyber resilience outcomes, including for the transition to post-quantum cryptography. The Government Cyber Unit is developing a suite of guidance to support departments' migration planning, in line with NCSC timelines, and a performance framework to monitor progress against GCAP outcomes across government, strengthening accountability for delivery.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the estimated annual cost is of the regional electricity discounts available to data centres in AI Growth Zones; and how that cost is funded.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade’s (BIST) proposals for electricity bill support target eligible data centres located in AI Growth Zones where they help to reduce overall electricity system costs.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the median earnings of graduates of AI-relevant courses were at one, three and five years after graduation in the latest Longitudinal Education Outcomes data; and what proportion of international graduates of such courses remained in UK employment at each point.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department publishes earnings data for graduates across all subjects at Common Aggregated Hierarchy Level 2 (CAH2) subject level for one, three and five years after graduation in the Graduate Labour Market Outcomes (LEO) statistics.

The data can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/graduate-labour-market-outcomes-leo/2023-24.

More granular subject breakdowns at CAH3 subject level are available under the 'Explore and download' tab. However, the department does not hold a list of defined 'AI-relevant courses'.

Employment outcomes data is available in the same publication for international EU and non-EU graduates. This data is also available under the 'Explore and download' data tab. However, there are no published statistics breaking down outcomes by both subject and domicile together.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of central government cryptographic systems is assessed as capable of being upgraded in place to the standards published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in August 2024; and what proportion will require hardware replacement.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The UK Government will follow the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) recommendations on post-quantum cryptography standards. Currently, the NCSC's recommended algorithms include those standardised by NIST in 2024. The Government Cyber Unit is developing a suite of guidance to support departments' migration planning, in line with NCSC timelines and will ask departments to complete a discovery of their cryptographic assets to understand the proportion that will require migration. This will include if assets require hardware replacement.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what criteria will be used to designate strategically important demand projects for prioritised grid connection; and whether all sites within AI Growth Zones will be so designated.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

As set out in the Government’s recent consultation on “Accelerating electricity network connections for strategic demand”, the criteria used to designate projects includes national objectives such as growth, jobs, social value and net zero.

Sites within publicly announced AI Growth Zones will be considered for grid connection support on their individual merits, in line with the relevant assessment processes.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, who the senior responsible owner is for migration of government systems to post-quantum cryptography; in which department that post sits; and what budget has been allocated to that programme in the financial year 2026-27.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The UK Government does not currently operate a centrally funded programme to migrate all government systems to post-quantum cryptography (PQC). Responsibility for planning, funding and implementing PQC migration plans rests with individual departments, as they manage their own technology estates, cyber risks and funding (including for 2026-27).

Work on PQC migration is delivered alongside broader improvements to Government cyber resilience under the Government Cyber Action Plan, which illustrates departmental responsibilities. The Government Cyber Unit, which moved to the new Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in July 2026, is developing a suite of guidance to support departments with their migration planning. The guidance follows timelines set out by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to complete planning by 2027, migrate high-priority systems by 2031 and all remaining systems by 2035.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, how much of the £59 million backing the Advanced Research and Invention Agency's Safeguarded AI programme has been committed; how the programme's revised objectives are to be measured following the decision not to proceed with the planned Phase 2 call under Technical Area 3; and how the funding allocated to that call has been redeployed.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

ARIA has autonomy over its funding decisions. ARIA’s Programme Directors are encouraged to monitor, course-correct, and terminate projects where redeploying funding would be most impactful.

The £59 million budget for ARIA’s Safeguarded AI programme is fully committed. Rather than launching a new Phase 2 call under Technical Area 3, ARIA redeployed funds to support project extensions for teams funded in Phase 1 who were demonstrating exceptional progress.

Following this change, ARIA refined the programme’s success measures to focus on progress towards real-world application. Emerging capabilities will be evaluated via a systematic, well-controlled benchmark suite, and their performance in demonstrations and field trials.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the budget of the AI Security Institute is in each financial year from 2025-26 to 2029-30; and how many staff it employs, by (a) technical and (b) other roles.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The AI Security Institute has been allocated £240 million over the Spending Review period to 2029-30, c. £60 million per year. This investment helps ensure the UK remains home to the world’s leading AI Security Institute.

As set out in my previous answer to PQ 30890, the AI Security Institute's headcount is 243, equivalent to 227.8 full time equivalent (FTE) posts (as of 12 October 2026). Of these, 109 are in technical roles and 134 are in other roles.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether his Department has sought, or intends to seek, an agreement with the European Union under Article 39 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 enabling conformity assessment bodies established under United Kingdom law to carry out the activities of notified bodies.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We have explored a number of proposals with our EU partners on manufactured goods, including a mutual recognition agreement on conformity assessment to remove these barriers. What was announced at the 2025 UK-EU summit reflects the outcome of these discussions. European security and competitiveness are best achieved when like-minded, trusted partners work together to bolster supply chains, competitiveness and economic security. We remain committed to working with our European partners and to tackling barriers to trade.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the budget and staffing of the AI Economics Institute are for 2026-27; whether a Director and Chief Economist have been appointed; and what is the membership of its advisory board.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

Following the machinery of government changes in July 2026, the AI Economics Institute (AIEI) will operate as a joint unit of the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury. It brings together expertise in economics, data and tech to provide robust analysis on how AI is affecting the labour market and wider economy.

A Director has been appointed, taking up post in early November 2026, with a small core team already in place and a recruitment campaign for additional roles will be launched imminently. AIEI continues to engage widely across government and beyond to ensure its work is informed by the latest evidence and expertise, including through the pre-existing Future of Work Expert Panel.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Minister is responsible for the AI Security Institute; and whether its director reports to that Minister or to the Cabinet Secretary.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

Kanishka Narayan MP, the Minister for Artificial Intelligence, has ministerial responsibility for the AI Security Institute, which includes its Director.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the average industrial electricity price in the UK was in the latest year for which figures are available compared with (a) France, (b) Germany, (c) the United States and (d) Sweden; and what assessment has been made of its potential effect on data centre investment decisions.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department publishes data on international comparisons of non-domestic electricity prices on GOV.UK. The Government recognises that electricity prices are an important factor in data centre investment decisions, alongside access to power, grid connection times, planning and wider infrastructure considerations. The Government continues to work with industry, Ofgem and the National Energy System Operator to improve electricity system efficiency, accelerate grid connections and support investment in strategically important digital infrastructure.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many transmission-connected demand projects have received Gate 2 offers under the Gate 2 to Whole Queue process; how many are data centres; and what the earliest and latest connection date is offered to a data centre.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is currently implementing the Gate 2 to Whole Queue process and connection offers continue to be issued.

Data collected in 2025 and published by NESO shows 72.8 GW of capacity allocated to data centres in the GB connection queue across transmission and distribution, with connection dates extending to the late 2030s. It is not currently possible to provide a count of individual projects.

Government recently consulted on measures to manage the current oversubscription of data centre connections and will publish its response in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to help tackle workforce shortages among educational psychologists in Surrey.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Educational psychologists (EPs) play a key role in supporting children and young people, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The department is investing around £1.8 billion for local area partnerships to develop Experts at Hand (EaH) offers which will provide access to support from key services, including EPs and trainees. This includes approximately £8.3 million for Surrey.

Local areas will determine how best to use funding for EaHs to meet need through locally-led workforce planning, taking account of local need, existing services and workforce capacity.

We are also working with the EP sector to maximise opportunities for growing the EP workforce across England, including in Surrey.

As set out in the SEND reform consultation, the government is investing £26 million to train at least 200 EPs per year from 2026/27, with further investment to train more over the following three years, subject to future spending reviews. This builds on the £31 million already invested since 2023.

We have increased the number of places available on the Educational Psychologist Funded Training programme in 2027 to 239, offering an additional 35 places that are spread across England.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the total cost was of the two pilot programmes referred to in his written statement of 12 October 2026 (HCWS357) which identified 1,352 vulnerabilities across 548 code repositories; how many of these vulnerabilities have now been remediated.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The total spend on artificial intelligence (AI) tokens for both pilots was £24,000. The Government Cyber Unit worked with departments to ensure that all critical findings were remediated, and remaining vulnerabilities have been transitioned into business-as-usual processes for departments to address in line with their existing risk and vulnerability management policies.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking as part of the new curriculum to ensure that disabled children can access and participate in PE and sport at school in Surrey.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Every child should have the opportunity to participate in physical education (PE), school sport and physical activity.

The government accepted the recommendations of the Curriculum and Assessment Review and has committed to strengthening the curriculum to give PE a clear purpose for every pupil, supporting schools to ensure all children, including pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), can participate meaningfully in PE and benefit from being physically active. The government is committed to supporting curriculum adaptation for all children and young people, recognising that early identification, high expectations and effective intervention are essential to overcoming barriers to learning.

The government-funded Inclusion 2028 programme supports a network of Lead Inclusion Schools, providing guidance and training to help teachers deliver inclusive PE, school sport and physical activity for pupils with SEND. The new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network will build on this by targeting the least active children, providing flexible local support, and concentrating on improving school-club links through peer learning and the Continuing Professional Development programme to create a more equitable, inclusive and sustainable system.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of training places required to supply the proposed Experts at Hand offer in Surrey.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department is investing around £1.8 billion over the next three years for local area partnerships, including local authorities and integrated care boards, to develop a new Experts at Hand offer. This includes approximately £8.3 million for Surrey.

Local areas have outlined milestones and delivery trajectories within their local area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reform plans, reflecting different starting points, local needs and workforce capacity. The department has not made an estimate of the number of training places required specifically for Surrey. Workforce planning is led locally, and local areas determine how best to meet need through a range of approaches, including recruitment, workforce development and different staffing models. Local area partnerships are responsible for planning and delivering their local Experts at Hand offer, taking account of local need, existing services and workforce capacity.

To support delivery overall, we are investing over £40 million in the specialist workforce, including £26 million to train more educational psychologists and £15 million over three years to support more speech and language therapists to work in education settings. This new offer is designed to strengthen the capability of mainstream education settings so that more specialist expertise can be accessed by mainstream settings to support all children and young people to thrive.

The department will continue to monitor data on the growth of the relevant health and education specialist workforces and are considering workforce implications as part of wider long-term planning with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, including through work on the 10 Year Workforce Plan.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, how many applications were received for Phase 1 of the ProQure programme, when the successful applicants will be announced, and how many applicants were headquartered in the United Kingdom.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

ProQure is the government's flagship programme to identify, grow and deploy world leading quantum computing capabilities to drive economic growth and support adoption of this transformative technology to benefit UK citizens.

Innovate UK have conducted the application process for phase 1 of the ProQure programme following the Contracts for Innovation framework. Innovate UK are currently finalising the awards for phase 1 and full details on competition outcomes will be published in the coming weeks.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS trusts received funding from the AI Diagnostic Fund; how many of the funded tools are in routine clinical use; and what evaluation of clinical outcomes has been undertaken.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Under the AI Diagnostic Fund, 66 trusts received funding to deploy an artificial intelligence (AI) tool into clinical practice. As of October 2026, 64 trusts have completed deployment. Early data on outcomes was provided as part of a commitment to expand the fund to cover the remaining trusts. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ai-to-speed-up-cancer-diagnosis-for-millions-of-nhs-patients

By helping clinicians manage growing demand for imaging services more efficiently and easing pressure on radiology teams, the technology is enabling patients to receive follow-up diagnostic tests sooner, helping speed up diagnosis and access to treatment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the governance structure of the Health Data Research Service is; whether it will operate a federated or centralised data model; and when it will first provide data access to researchers.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Health Data Research Service (HDRS) is a Government-owned company sponsored by the Department, which acts as its sole shareholder. The HDRS board, chaired by Baroness Blackwood, guides on strategic direction, bringing together expertise from across health, research, data governance, and public engagement.

I refer the Hon. Member to the published information on the HDRS's governance, operating arrangements, and delivery plans, available at the links below. Further details, including on matters around data models and data access, will be set out in due course.

https://www.hdrs.com/about-us/

https://www.hdrs.com/our-plan/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of chest X-rays in England were reported with AI assistance in the latest quarter; and what NICE's recommendation is on the use of AI-assisted chest X-ray interpretation outside research settings.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The available data shows that for the last whole quarter measured, quarter four of 2025/26, 781,000 chest X-rays (CXRs) were supported by artificial intelligence (AI) for trusts who deployed a CXR tool. This was compared to a total number of CXR performed in the NHS during that period of 2,052,110. AI-assisted CXRs represented 38.1% of the total.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published an early value assessment for this technology on 28 September 2023. The publication specifically referenced the potential for the AI Diagnostic Fund to answer the evidence gaps set out in the guidance and evidence generation plan.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, on what dates the Women in Tech taskforce last met, and who is the current chair.

Answered by Vicky Foxcroft - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

Following Machinery of Government changes, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has assumed responsibility for the Women in Tech Taskforce. As Minister for Digital Skills and Inclusion, Vicky Foxcroft co-chairs the Taskforce alongside Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, the Government’s Women in Tech Envoy.

The Women in Tech Taskforce last met on 6 July 2026 and is scheduled to meet again in the coming weeks. Taskforce members and officials meet regularly to develop and advance interventions that government and industry can implement together to address the systemic barriers that prevent women from entering, remaining in, and progressing within the technology sector.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many firms have participated in the Financial Conduct Authority's Supercharged Sandbox and AI Live Testing; what outcomes have been recorded; and whether the FCA will publish an evaluation.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The first cohort of the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Supercharged Sandbox had 22 participating firms. The second cohort, which is currently ongoing, has 21 participating firms.

The Sandbox helps the FCA and industry better understand how emerging AI technologies can be used safely and responsibly in financial services. Specifically, participants in the first cohort reported building prototypes, validating AI models, conducting technical demonstrations and preparing solutions for future pilots.

In total, 17 firms have participated in AI Live Testing (AILT). The participating firms who have agreed to be named are publicly available on the FCA’s website at https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/fca-helps-firms-test-ai-safely (Cohort 1) and https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/fca-announces-second-cohort-ai-live-testing (Cohort 2).

Many of the AI applications tested as part of the first cohort focus on retail financial services including use cases to harness AI for debt resolution or financial advice. Firms in the second cohort are testing both customer-facing and business-to-business use cases, including AI-enabled targeted support for investments, credit score insights for consumers, agentic payments, anti-money laundering detection, and Know Your Customer. A number of firms have also publicly disclosed the benefits of working with the FCA on safe and responsible AI.

The FCA plan to publish evaluation reports of the Supercharged Sandbox and AILT in Q1 2027. The FCA will also be hosting a second public showcase event at their offices on 25 and 26 November to highlight emerging use cases and lessons from the process for industry.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much has been awarded under the Alignment Project; to how many projects; and what proportion of funding came from (a) the UK Government and (b) other funders.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The Alignment Project awarded 60 grants with a combined value of £21.8 million to projects that are dedicated to accelerating progress in AI alignment research. This figure is part of a wider £27 million programme that includes compute and other partner support. Of the grant funding, roughly 55% is from the UK Government (AISI), 7% is from other UK public bodies (UKRI and ARIA), and 38% comes from other funders.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the AI Economics Institute has an allocated office space within HM Treasury.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

Following the machinery of government changes in July 2026, the AI Economics Institute (AIEI) will operate as a joint unit of the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury. It brings together expertise in economics, data and tech to provide robust analysis on how AI is affecting the labour market and wider economy.

The Institute is currently being stood up and based in former Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offices whilst a permanent location is identified.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Minister for AI has made any direct ministerial appointments.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The Minister for AI has not yet made any direct ministerial appointments.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Cabinet Office news story, Dr Jade Leung appointed Vice-Chair of the AI Security Institute and Security Advisor to the AI Taskforce, published on 23 September 2026, who is the AI Security Institute’s interim Chief Technology Officer, and whether there will be an open competition for the replacement.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The AI Security Institute is not recruiting a direct replacement for the role of Chief Technology Officer. The newly appointed Chief Strategy Officer, as well as the Institute's two Research Directors, will take on the role's relevant responsibilities.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on what date the AI Security Institute's access to frontier AI models developed in the United States was (a) interrupted and (b) restored.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

As I outlined in my speech on 12 October, the Government has been working closely with the US government and frontier labs to ensure AISI continues to have access to the most powerful AI models. AISI holds trusted, voluntary relationships with the world's leading AI companies, and continues to have access to frontier models for testing both before and after public release. AISI scientists continue to conduct rigorous evaluations of the latest generation of models, including GPT-6 Astra and Gemini 4 Argon.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether she has adopted the National Cyber Security Centre's guidance entitled Timelines for migration to post-quantum cryptography of 20 March 2025 as the standard for its own departments and arm's length bodies.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office has adopted the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) guidance on timelines for migration to post-quantum cryptography as the standard for its departments and arm's-length bodies

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what measured effect Justice Transcribe has had on (a) probation officer contact time with offenders, (b) caseloads and (c) recorded outcomes; what accuracy testing has been undertaken; and what the tool has cost.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Justice Transcribe is an AI tool that summarises conversations between probation officers and people on probation, reducing administrative burden and enabling practitioners to focus more on supervision.

Between 7 October 2025 and 14 September 2026, the tool summarised over 1.6 million meetings. The evidence from the pilot found that for 80% of officers surveyed the tool improved engagement with the people they supervise but the additional contact time has not been directly measured.

While we have not measured direct impact on caseloads, HMPPS forecasts that Justice Transcribe will release practitioner capacity and free up time equivalent to around 470 full-time staff and support per annum, enabling practitioners to devote more time to other work.

Practitioners report improved quality and completeness of case records. A post-implementation evaluation is assessing the impact of the national rollout across various metrics.

Before national rollout, a robust independent pilot evaluation included a review of case records to assess the quality and accuracy of outputs, comparative evaluation of AI models accuracy testing and independent security testing. This evaluation found records useful and relevant to case management, but Practitioners must review and edit outputs before saving official records. A further National evaluation is underway with further quality assurance being developed.

Justice Transcribe is expected to cost is £7.9 million between 2025-26 and 2028-29 for use in probation sentence management meetings, including staff, service-running costs and contingency.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps have been taken by the AI Security Institute to help improve pre-release access to frontier models.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

As I outlined in my speech on 12 October, the Government has been working closely with the US government and frontier labs to ensure the AI Security Institute continues to have access to the most powerful AI models before they are released.

AI scientists at the AI Security Institute continue to conduct rigorous evaluations of the latest generation of models, including Gemini 4 Argon, to build a scientific understanding of the risks posed by the most advanced AI systems and develop technical mitigations against them, so that policy decisions are grounded in evidence.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HM Treasury has received a costed plan for migration of government systems to post-quantum cryptography; and whether provision has been made for it in departmental settlements to 2029-30.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Planning for the migration to post-quantum cryptography is expected to be completed by 2027, highest-priority systems migrated by 2031, and all remaining systems transitioned by 2035. Departments will be advised to consider this in spending review planning.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the policy paper, Introducing the AI Economics Institute, published on 8 June 2026, what is the timetable for the Institute to be fully operational.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The AI Economics Institute is currently operational, with a small core team already in place and a recruitment campaign for additional roles to launch imminently. A Director has been appointed, taking up post in early November 2026.

Professor Simon Johnson, Nobel Prize-winning economist, former Chief Economist of the IMF, has been appointed as Chair of the Institute. His appointment brings a wealth of experience in understanding how AI can create good jobs and boost shared prosperity, and how institutions are formed and affect economic growth.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what is the (a) headcount and (b) FTE size of the Government’s AI Taskforce.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The Prime Minister’s AI Taskforce has been established in OPMC to drive the government’s overall strategy on AI and to unlock the opportunities it holds for growth, prosperity and public sector transformation. It is a small central unit of 60-80FTE which will set AI strategy across government and work with departments to deliver on the government’s key AI priorities.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of placing the AI Security Institute on a statutory footing.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The AI Security Institute (AISI) has trusted, voluntary relationships with the world's leading AI companies. This collaborative approach lets us keep pace with a fast-moving technology and adapt as it evolves.

As I outlined in my speech on 12 October, the Government has been working closely with the US government and frontier labs to ensure AISI continues to have access to the most powerful AI models before they are released.

AI scientists at AISI continue to conduct rigorous evaluations of the latest generation of models to build a scientific understanding of the risks posed by the most advanced AI systems and develop technical mitigations against them, so that policy decisions are grounded in evidence.

This Government remains committed to ensuring AISI is equipped to fulfil its vital role, and will continue to keep the House updated on its work.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what is the contact email address for correspondence by hon. Members with the AI Security Institute.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

Hon. Members can write to the AI Security Institute through the Cabinet Office's ministerial correspondence mailbox, [email protected].

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment has been made of the potential merits of extending industrial energy price relief to data centres.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) is developing proposals for electricity bill support for eligible data centres located in AI Growth Zones where they help to reduce overall electricity system costs. BIST is undertaking further policy development on how to support data centres, and the government remains committed to supporting the UK’s ambitions for AI growth and investment.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the results were of trials of the AI planning tool; whether a control group of authorities was used; and when national rollout will begin.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The first testing phase of the AI augmented planning decisions prototype, which was undertaken in three local planning authorities (LPAs), produced promising results. A control group was not used. Testing has now progressed to 12 further LPAs.

The government's approach remains exploratory and evidence-led, to ensure any future adoption is safe and ethical. No final decision has been made in respect of a national rollout.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what the budget outturn of the Regulatory Innovation Office was in 2024-25 and 2025-26; what its budget is for 2026-27; how many staff it employs; and what key performance indicators it reports against.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) was announced in October 2024, with work undertaken to operationalise it. Consequently, no separate RIO outturn is available for 2024–25. Its 2025–26 actual spend was £7.8 million. The UK Government has announced around £70 million of regulatory innovation funding over this Spending Review period. RIO is a multidisciplinary team of around 40 officials.

RIO assesses whether its work with regulators is making a difference in three ways: whether a barrier has been removed or clarified; whether regulators are behaving differently as a result, and whether the improvement is sustained and supports sector growth.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what criteria will be used to evaluate projects funded under Round 4 of the Regulators' Pioneer Fund; whether those projects will be assessed against measurable outcomes and impacts; and what assessment he has made of the value for money of previous rounds of that Fund.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Regulators’ Pioneer Fund supports regulators and local authorities to test innovative regulatory approaches that enable emerging technologies and innovation. Round 4 projects were assessed against need, alignment with Fund objectives, capability, governance, deliverability and value for money, and monitored against agreed outputs, outcomes and milestones.

Round 4 evaluation will commence once project delivery has concluded. An independent evaluation of Round 3, published in May 2026, found strong evidence that the Fund strengthened regulators’ capability to support innovation and collaboration. As some wider innovation impacts take longer to materialise, we intend to continue monitoring completed projects to capture this.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what projects were funded under the AI Capability Fund for regulators and the Regulators' Pioneer Fund round 4; what each delivered; and how many are in operation.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Regulatory Innovation Office awarded £3.6 million through the AI Capability Fund to eight regulator-led projects to strengthen capability to regulate and use AI, covering digital regulation, energy, nuclear safety, aviation, data protection, autonomous vehicles and medicines. Seven completed funded delivery by 31 March 2026, with one still in active delivery.

Round 4 of the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund awarded up to £7.9 million to 14 projects testing innovative regulatory approaches across health, housing, transport and environmental regulation. Delivery is ongoing, with projects developing regulatory tools, frameworks, guidance, sandboxes and other innovative approaches.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what meetings representatives of DBT and DSIT have had with the China General Technology Research Institute in the last 24 months.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is not aware of any meetings between DBT or DSIT representatives and the China General Technology Research Institute in the last 24 months.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment has been made of the potential implications of the judgment in Getty Images v Stability AI for the enforceability of UK copyright against models trained outside the UK; and whether her Department will legislate to address any gap identified.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

In March we published a report and impact assessment on AI and copyright, which included consideration of the Getty judgment. The Getty judgment is subject to appeal, and we will consider any further implications following the outcome of that appeal. We are continuing to engage with stakeholders to build our understanding of the issues surrounding creator control and input transparency and whether there is an appropriate role for government in addressing them. We will not rush to legislate until we are confident the approach works for creators, consumers and the wider economy.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment has been made of whether any AI developer has located training activity outside the UK because of the UK copyright regime.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

In March we published a report and impact assessment on AI and copyright, which included an initial assessment of this issue. As set out in this report, we are continuing to gather evidence regarding the extent to which the copyright regime influences training location (amongst other factors). We will also continue to monitor international developments and engage with copyright owners, AI developers, and others, to understand the impacts of the existing copyright regime.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when the AI energy council will meet next.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The AI Energy Council completed its first term of meetings earlier this year. The Government is currently reviewing arrangements for the Council’s next meeting and will confirm the date in due course.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the AI Security Institute has signed a memorandum of understanding with each developer whose models it evaluates before release.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The AI Security Institute (AISI) has built trusted, voluntary relationships with the world's leading AI labs. AISI signs a collaboration agreement with every developer whose models it tests before release. This collaborative approach lets us keep pace with a fast-moving technology and adapt as it evolves.