Asked by: Baroness Alexander of Cleveden (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of increasing levels of AI adoption on public sector efficiency.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government recognises the significant potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to improve public sector efficiency and productivity.
Analysis undertaken through the State of Digital Government Review indicates there is up to £45 billion per year in potential gains, including up to £36 billion from simplifying and automating delivery. Initial analysis by the Central Digital and Data Office found that baseline spend could be reduced by 31% through the use of AI. However, this is an estimate of opportunity, rather than a forecast or committed saving.
Asked by: Baroness Alexander of Cleveden (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in improving their use of technology to deliver government priorities.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government has made significant progress in improving its use of technology to deliver priorities across the public sector.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s Government Digital Service is established as the digital centre of government and sets out a clear framework through the Blueprint for Modern Digital Government and the 2026 Roadmap.
This includes accelerating adoption of cloud technologies, tackling legacy IT systems, expanding the use of artificial intelligence, and investing in shared digital infrastructure to deliver more joined-up, resilient and efficient public services.
Asked by: Baroness Alexander of Cleveden (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in setting up AI growth zones.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
To date, Government has announced five AI Growth Zones: in Culham; the North East of England; Anglesey (North Wales); a South Wales Cluster (spanning from Newport to Bridgend); and Lanarkshire, Scotland.
Over £28 billion in private investment has been committed to these announced AI Growth Zones to date, with delivery of these projects underway across multiple sites.
Asked by: Baroness Alexander of Cleveden (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support technological innovation.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Digital and Technologies sector plan, part of the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy, aims to make the UK the best place in the world to start and scale a fast growing technology business.
The plan focuses on six frontier technologies - Advanced Connectivity Technologies, AI, cyber, engineering biology, quantum and semiconductors - where the UK has comparative advantage. We will take a cross government approach to developing these frontier technologies to grow including through, skills programmes, improving access to finance, support with energy costs and leveraging international opportunities.
Targeted R&D investment will also be critical to driving innovation and incentivising private sector investment in these technologies. That is why in this SR, £58.5 billion is allocated for DSIT to invest in R&D, including funding for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Innovate UK - the UK’s national innovation agency.
Asked by: Baroness Alexander of Cleveden (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of the AI Growth Lab on economic growth.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government recognises that artificial intelligence represents a defining economic opportunity for the coming decade. The OECD estimates that AI adoption could add 0.4 to 1.3 percentage points to the UK’s productivity growth- equivalent to adding £55-140 billion to UK GVA in 2030.
Lab would drive innovation and growth, super charging investment in innovative start-ups. The exact quantity of investment is uncertain, but firms participating in a previous FCA sandbox received 6.6 times more investment compared to non-participants.[1]
Early analysis indicates that lifting unnecessary legal barriers to AI in the Lab could unlock billions of pounds of GVA by 2035.
[1] Goo, J. and J. Heo (2020), “The Impact of the Regulatory Sandbox on the Fintech Industry, with a Discussion on the Relation between Regulatory Sandboxes and Open Innovation”, 6 J. Open Innov. Technol. Mark. Complex, https://www.mdpi.com/2199-8531/6/2/.
Asked by: Baroness Alexander of Cleveden (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to facilitate US-based academics and researchers who may wish to consider relocating to the UK's higher education sector.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government recognises and values the US as a key partner in R&D and look forward to continuing our collaboration on shared priorities to drive economic growth and technological advancement. Both the UK and US are committed to facilitating the exchange of talent and students to enhance R&D capabilities.
The government is committed to ensuring the UK is the top destination for globally mobile research talent based anywhere in the world. The UK boasts a world-leading science base, supported by top universities and research institutions, and has an ambitious funding offer through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Academies, which offer prestigious fellowships and professorships.