Oral Answers to Questions

Chi Onwurah Excerpts

Thursday 27th November 2025 Commons Chamber

The hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, was asked—

[Dame Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West) (Lab)]

7. What steps the Commission is taking to provide technology to improve the productivity of hon. Members.

[Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney) (Lab)]

A new approach to proactively understand Members’ needs has been introduced by the Parliamentary Digital Service to shape improvements to digital services. Recently, its research informed a trial of a paid version of Copilot artificial intelligence with Members, including me, and with staff. To ensure that any new solutions meet Members’ needs, PDS runs pilots, works with suppliers and applies Member feedback to try to drive improvements.

[Dame Chi Onwurah]

I thank my hon. Friend for that response. My constituents expect me to spend their money and my time addressing their issues, not trying to manage an inbox flooded with lobbyist spam and by Russian and Chinese bots. Microsoft Copilot asks me if I want help writing emails to my constituents—I do not—but will not help me manage my inbox, despite repeated requests. Can my hon. Friend say whether this House is paying more money for Copilot functionality that we are not using, and if and when Microsoft Copilot will address the issues that I and other MPs face, rather than the ones that Microsoft thinks we should have?

[Nick Smith]

My hon. Friend has a fair beef. The volume of unwanted emails received by MPs is a known problem, but no one yet has an easy solution. Testing of whether Copilot or other digital solutions can help with inbox management has taken place, but Copilot is unlikely to be the answer for it. I understand that the technology may now exist, though, and I will ask the Parliamentary Digital Service to brief her on what might be possible.

[Dame Chi Onwurah]

Are we paying for it?

[Nick Smith]

In terms of paying more for Microsoft Copilot, there is a version that does come at a monthly cost.