Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to page 39 of the Industrial Strategy, what progress his Department has made on supporting additional PhDs in AI and related disciplines.

Artificial intelligence is a vital technology for the future of our economy; it will also help us tackle big societal challenges, from delivering clean growth to helping people live longer, healthier lives. As part of our AI sector deal, we will create 200 additional PhDs in AI and related disciplines per year by 2020-21, with at least 1,000 Government-backed PhD places at any one time by 2025. The first 200 additional PhDs have already been funded.