Baroness Berger

Last year, Ofcom published a letter that set out that if an AI service searches the live internet to return its results it will be regulated under the Act as a search service.

The Secretary of State has also confirmed in Parliament this week that the government will further consider the role of chatbots and how they interact with the Online Safety Act as part of its approach, urging Ofcom to use its existing powers to ensure they are safe for children.

DSIT is conducting a range of research projects to advance evidence around the impacts of AI chatbots on users, including on their mental health. The Secretary of State has also confirmed this week that the government will further consider chatbots and how they interact with the Online Safety Act as part of its approach, urging Ofcom to use its existing powers to ensure they are safe for children.

Alongside this, DHSC’s 10 Year Plan sets out an ambitious reform agenda to transform mental health services to improve access and, treatment and promote good mental health and wellbeing for the nation.

The Government is aware that Netflix has submitted a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery's studio and streaming assets as part of an ongoing acquisition process. As the bidding process is ongoing and no transaction has been finalised, it would not be appropriate to provide comment further on this individual case.

As set out in our Creative Industries Sector Plan, the Government recognises that convergence in the TV and streaming market is leading to greater consolidation as companies seek economies of scale. Should any proposed transaction progress, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) would be responsible for examining implications for competition and consumers. The Government has committed to asking the CMA, working with Ofcom, to set out how changes in the sector could be taken into account as part of any future assessment of the television and advertising markets.

While no such specific assessment has been made, we know that people with complex mental illnesses are not always able to access the care and treatment they need. We are determined to change that.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out our vision for the neighbourhood health service. It will bring care into local communities, convene professionals into patient-centred teams, end fragmentation, and abolish the National Health Service default of ‘one size fits all’ care. As part of this, we will transform the current mental health system so people can access the right support at the right time in the right place.

We are piloting 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres to bring together a range of community mental health services under one roof, including crisis services and short-stay beds. People with severe or complex mental illness will be able to walk in without an appointment if they need mental health support, as well as advice on employment, housing, or volunteering, delivered by a multi-disciplinary team. The centres will improve continuity of care, drive down waits, and reduce inpatient admissions. Other local areas are looking to rollout the model more widely.

In addition, working with experts and people with lived experience, we will publish a new modern service framework for severe or complex mental illness, setting consistency in clinical standards across the country so that patients and families get high quality, evidence-based treatment and support.

The 10-Year Health Plan outlines plans to pilot Staff Treatment Hubs, to provide a high-quality, wellbeing and occupational health service for all National Health Service staff. Work is underway to develop implementation and operational plans for the Staff Treatments Hubs. This will determine factors such as location, budgets, timeframes and capacity. The Staff Treatment Hubs were designed to be inclusive of primary care workers delivering NHS contracts including general practitioners and NHS dentists.

The 10-Year Health Plan outlines plans to pilot Staff Treatment Hubs, to provide a high-quality, wellbeing and occupational health service for all National Health Service staff. Work is underway to develop implementation and operational plans for the Staff Treatments Hubs. This will determine factors such as location, budgets, timeframes and capacity. The Staff Treatment Hubs were designed to be inclusive of primary care workers delivering NHS contracts including general practitioners and NHS dentists.

The Government is tackling female genital mutilation (FGM) through its landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.

To prevent and respond effectively to FGM it is essential that we understand the prevalence of these crimes.

In 2023, the Home Office commissioned the University of Birmingham to conduct a feasibility study to examine whether it is possible to produce robust prevalence estimates for FGM and forced marriage. The study has now concluded, and we are currently working on our next steps which we will set out in due course.

While not markers of prevalence, the Government monitors other indicators of FGM to inform our understanding. These indicators include police recorded crime, contacts to the joint Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and Home Office Forced Marriage Unit, data from the National Health Service in England, and the courts.

The Government is committed to tackling those who spread views that promote violence and hatred against individuals and communities in our society, and that radicalise others into terrorism. We will continue to challenge extremist narratives and disrupt the activity of particularly those who radicalise others but deliberately operate below CT thresholds.