Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) algorithmic and (b) other automated decision making systems his Department uses; and for what purposes.

Algorithms are used in various analytical processes and in modelling by the Department for Transport. These inform decisions, but ultimately decisions are taken by Ministers. The Department publishes a list of business-critical models and their purposes. This is available online, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dft-analytical-assurance-framework-strength-in-numbers/dft-register-of-business-critical-models-april-2021.

The Department is developing an internal AI programme which will use algorithmic processes, for example to detect fraudulent grant applications and to streamline work processes. To date, none of these developmental systems has been used for automated decision making.