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Written Question
Artificial Intelligence: Procurement
Wednesday 26th November 2025

Asked by: Baroness Kidron (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to including advice about supplier diversity and small and medium-sized enterprise participation in procurement in the Artificial Intelligence Playbook.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

This government is committed to supporting SMEs and British business as much as possible including through procurement. The current edition of the AI Playbook for government contains broad advice for decision makers looking to procure effective, ethical and safe systems. Updates to Government guidance will have lines on how to adhere to the Procurement Act (2023) which came into force this year. The Act has specific provisions to encourage government procurement from small and medium sized by enhancing transparency and competition.

Written Question
Artificial Intelligence: Procurement
Monday 24th November 2025

Asked by: Baroness Kidron (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support UK-headquartered AI companies and small and medium-sized enterprises in AI procurement strategy.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is taking several steps to support UK-headquartered AI companies and SMEs in procurement:

  • We are specifying social value criteria in procurement decisions that support selecting SMEs as implementation partners, and running targeted secondary procurements sized appropriately for smaller suppliers, informed by insights from SMEs and industry bodies including TechUK, AI UK, and Innovate UK.
  • The AI Opportunity Scanning Team, now fully operational, provides cross-government technical horizon scanning and market intelligence to understand evolving AI capabilities and supplier landscapes.
  • We are exploring innovative procurement approaches through the Commercial Innovation Hub and have launched the National AI Tender for a GOV.UK Agentic AI Companion following positive market engagement.
  • The Open Source AI Fellowship programme, launched via the Alan Turing Institute, brings open-source AI specialists into government.
  • The AI Knowledge Hub is being updated to include comprehensive technical guidance to support informed procurement decisions.
Division Vote (Lords)
5 Nov 2025 - Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill - View Vote Context
Baroness Kidron (XB) voted Aye and against the House
One of 13 Crossbench Aye votes vs 0 Crossbench No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 47 Noes - 136
Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 03 Nov 2025
AI: Workforce Training

"My Lords, I am very much behind AI training and the vision of the noble Lord, Lord Evans, in his supplementary question. Having benefited from exemplary instruction from a senior research scientist at one of the world’s leading AI companies, I can see how powerful they are. But the noble …..."
Baroness Kidron - View Speech

View all Baroness Kidron (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: AI: Workforce Training
Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 16 Oct 2025
Crime and Policing Bill

"My Lords, I thank the Minister for her kind words about the new offence with respect to child sexual abuse image generators and I take the opportunity to recognise the work of the specialist police unit that has worked alongside me on these and other issues. Working at the front …..."
Baroness Kidron - View Speech

View all Baroness Kidron (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Crime and Policing Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 18 Sep 2025
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

"My Lords, in speaking to my Amendments 502K, 502YI and 502YH, I also register my support for Amendments 493 and 494 in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Holmes, and, more broadly, to associate myself with everything he has just said. Amendment 502YI calls for a code of practice …..."
Baroness Kidron - View Speech

View all Baroness Kidron (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 18 Sep 2025
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

"I just want to raise the question of timing. The Government, as the Minister says, are putting a huge amount of money into digital infrastructure and, as later amendments that she will turn to say, putting assessment online and so on. I am trying to understand why it takes decades …..."
Baroness Kidron - View Speech

View all Baroness Kidron (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 15 Sep 2025
Online Safety Act 2023: Virtual Private Networks

"My Lords, while the introduction of age checking has increased the use of VPNs, we must not automatically assume that the increase is entirely attributable to under-18s. On the contrary, Ofcom’s research suggests that only one in 10 VPN users is a child. The vast majority of children are benefiting …..."
Baroness Kidron - View Speech

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Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 21 Jul 2025
Artificial Intelligence: Legislation

"My Lords, both the AI Opportunities Action Plan and the industrial strategy outline a commitment to sovereign AI, including the creation of a UK sovereign AI unit, but with little detail about the timeline or the terms under which it will operate. Meanwhile, the Government continue to sign contracts with …..."
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Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 07 Jul 2025
Artificial Intelligence: News Media

"My Lords, during the passage of the Data (Use and Access) Bill, the Government asked repeatedly that Parliament trust that they had the interest of UK copyright holders front and centre. So can the Minister explain why the UK Government have now signed a memorandum of understanding with Canadian AI …..."
Baroness Kidron - View Speech

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