Procedural Flexibility: Scrutiny of AI and Emerging Technology

Lord McLoughlin Excerpts

Thursday 22nd October 2026 Lords Chamber

[The Senior Deputy Speaker]

I will ensure that this proposal is drawn to the attention of the Procedure and Privileges Committee. As noble Lords will be aware, the Committee needs to balance a range of demands on the House’s time, and any proposal for dedicated scrutiny arrangements on one policy topic must be considered against other important policy areas. Artificial intelligence is clearly of great importance. Noble Lords will have an opportunity to debate one aspect of this issue—the impact of AI on children—later today during the debate in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Patel.

[Lord McLoughlin (Con)]

My Lords, it is incumbent on us all to try to understand artificial intelligence and use our own intelligence to get around it. Will the Senior Deputy Speaker do all he can to draw to the attention of other Members of your Lordships’ House the availability of digital training on AI and the way in which the House provides those facilities for all to take advantage of?

[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.