Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what measures are in place to ensure that human oversight is substantive and effective, rather than limited to formal or nominal review.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) ensures substantive and effective human oversight of automated decisions involving personal data through meaningful human involvement in the process. Automated outputs undergo thorough human review and do not form the sole basis for significant decisions unless there is a lawful basis and all statutory safeguards are met.

The MOD’s Data Protection Impact Assessment process identifies and mitigates risks, alongside which staff receive appropriate training to fulfil their oversight responsibilities. These measures ensure that human review is genuine and compliant with data protection requirements.