Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Abolition

Lord Pack Excerpts

Wednesday 14th October 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

As I said in my initial response to the noble Lord, Lord Empey, we have a Minister for AI at the Cabinet table. We also have a new and renewed BIST, which has been created to signify the UK’s global leadership in innovation and maximise the growth potential that can be contributed to the UK economy by emerging strategic sectors. This is part of our reindustrialisation agenda. BIST is now responsible for emerging and frontier technologies, and I am confident that this will be part of its key work going forward.

[Lord Pack (LD)]

My Lords, we have in recent weeks had yet more evidence of AI agents going rogue, including hacking websites and even sending a fake tip about a real crime to the US police. Can I ask not about overall headcount, but specifically what the impact of these changes will be on the headcount for AI regulation? Is that headcount going to go up, go down, or stay the same?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

The percentage of staff in digital and data roles is projected to increase. We are clear that when we are looking at overall responsibilities, functions and roles within the Civil Service, we need to make sure that we are ready for future opportunities, but also future threats, as the noble Lord made clear. I had the pleasure of going to talk to AISI last week and I was impressed by the calibre of civil servants there and the work they are doing to protect us and to build a rigorous scientific understanding of both the capabilities and the risks associated with AI.