Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to attract people with cybersecurity and artificial intelligence skills to apply to settle in the UK.

The Government recognises the importance of attracting world-class cybersecurity and AI talent to maintain the UK’s position as a global tech leader.

Through the AI Action Plan, we are taking action to strengthen the domestic talent pipeline and ensure the UK remains attractive to global innovators. The AI Spärck Master’s programme will offer up to 100 fully funded places for exceptional graduates, while the Turing AI Global Fellowships provide up to £5 million per fellow to relocate to the UK, build a highly skilled team, and undertake transformative core AI research. Moreover, the AI Security Institute provides comprehensive visa and relocation support for frontier AI researchers, ensuring the UK remains a global centre for safe and responsible AI development.

The Global Talent Taskforce has also been launched to address barriers to international recruitment and promotes the UK to top-tier talent. Domestically, the TechFirst and CyberFirst programmes are growing UK-based expertise. CyberFirst has reached 415,000 young people and offers scholarships with an 88% job placement rate.