Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to develop a cross-department strategy on the use of artificial intelligence for children; and what steps they are taking to ensure that the UK leads in the use of safe and socially positive artificial intelligence by young people.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
DSIT engages with departments across government to ensure a coordinated approach to AI, including on child safety.
Generative AI services that allow users to share content with one another or that search live websites to provide search results are regulated under the Online Safety Act. These services must protect all users from illegal content and protect children from harmful content.
The Department for Education has also introduced the Generative AI Product Safety Expectations framework for educational settings.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to allow accredited artificial intelligence assistants to perform simple administrative tasks in the NHS.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are already supporting healthcare staff with routine administrative tasks and clinical decision making. AI-powered tools, such as ambient voice technologies, help ease the administrative burden faced by staff and make systems more efficient.
One study has found that ambient voice technologies can generate time savings of up to 30 minutes per person per day when staff are supported by AI for basic administrative tasks.
AI tools that assist with other common administrative tasks have also been developed and trialled, such as tools that can automatically generate patient discharge summaries, forecast demand for accident and emergency services, and support with staff rostering based on availability and skillsets. The former two of these examples are two of the Prime Minister’s AI Exemplars, as announced in August this year.
The Department and NHS England are working to test, support, and regulate promising new technologies that can augment, not replace, our National Health Service and care staff. In April, NHS England published guidance on the use of AI-enabled ambient scribing products in health and care settings.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential for artificial intelligence to support national efforts to reduce loneliness; and what steps they are taking, if any, to develop or pilot artificial intelligence enabled interventions as part of their loneliness strategy.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Whilst there are currently no plans to use artificial intelligence in our efforts to reduce loneliness, the Government recognises the importance of using innovative approaches to address this issue.
The Government welcomes research and evidence on how artificial intelligence may be harnessed to safely support positive social connections. The government-funded Tackling Loneliness Hub recently published this blog on health innovation and the role of AI in strengthening social connection, and hosts a range of events for members to learn about novel approaches to addressing loneliness.
Our ambition to strengthen positive social connections and tackle loneliness is a key part of achieving wider government objectives to create a healthier society and more connected communities across all demographics. My department has been working hard to ensure social connection and loneliness are embedded across government policy making, including the recently published Pride in Place strategy, Men’s Health Strategy and National Youth Strategy.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for paying for prisoners with addictions released on the early release scheme to continue their recovery in alcohol and drug rehabilitation centres.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
This Government inherited prisons days from collapse and had to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe. SDS40 is a temporary measure to provide relief to the system, and following the Independent Sentencing Review, we have now introduced the Sentencing Bill to Parliament. This will introduce a new Progression Model, as a key part of delivering a more sustainable solution to the prison capacity crisis.
We know that continued engagement with drug and alcohol treatment both within and beyond custody is vital to reduce reoffending. It is crucial that those released early can access support effectively within the community, especially as the first few weeks of release are high-risk for relapse, overdose and reoffending.
Responsibility for the funding and commissioning of substance misuse treatment lies with the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS Wales. The Ministry of Justice works very closely with health partners to ensure accessible pathways for offenders which meet their needs, including Residential Rehabilitation which can be an effective treatment option for some. This includes recruiting Health and Justice Partnership Coordinators nationwide, who strengthen links between prisons, treatment providers and probation, alongside secure laptops across prisons to enable prisoners to virtually meet with community treatment providers prior to their release. We have also established the Drug and Alcohol Recovery Expert Panel, chaired by Lord Timpson, which brings together leading experts to identify opportunities to strengthen the Ministry of Justice’s approach.
The latest data from August 2025 shows that 54% of adults released with an ongoing substance misuse need engaged in treatment within 3 weeks of release, an increase from 38% in April 2021.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Leader of the House whether artificial intelligence is used to reply to written parliamentary questions and, if so, what is the extent of this.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
All written parliamentary questions are considered on a case by case basis. The Government does not have a specific policy on the use of AI for responding to written parliamentary questions, however staff do have access to AI software tools to support the drafting process. All responses are reviewed by policy officials to ensure accuracy and consistency with government policy, and parliamentary questions are signed off by Ministers.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of remarks by Tony Blair to The Times on 1 February regarding the potential use of digital identity to help solve immigration and other problems.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Digital right to work and right to rent checks are already in place for migrants and British or Irish citizens. For British passport, and Irish passport or passport card holders, employers and landlords can already choose to use digital identity services which are independently certified against Government standards. This can reduce business costs and enable individuals to access work and housing much faster, and more easily.
Foreign nationals can also use their eVisa to evidence their status in the UK and for identification purposes.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Leader of the House what was the average cost of responding to a Question for Written Answer tabled in the House of Lords in the most recent year for which figures are available.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The information requested is not held. The cost to the public purse of answering written parliamentary questions depends on numerous factors, including the size of parliamentary teams, volumes of parliamentary questions submitted, and the complexity of the question asked (and required policy work to answer it), amongst other factors.
The Cabinet Office’s Guide to Parliamentary Work (available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work) sets out: “There is an advisory cost limit known as the disproportionate cost threshold which is the level above which departments can decide not to answer a written question. The current disproportionate cost threshold is £850.”
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of illegal immigrants residing in the UK.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
By its very nature, it is not possible to know the exact number of people living in the UK illegally, or produce official estimates of that illegal population. In June 2019, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published a note on ‘measuring illegal migration’, which can be found here: Measuring illegal migration: our current view - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk).
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to lower the blood alcohol content limit for driving.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
This Government takes road safety seriously, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. We are currently considering policy options in this area.
Since the general election, the Department has also begun work on a new Road Safety Strategy, the first in over a decade. The Department will share more details in due course.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the value of Government-funded research into the impact of calorie labelling on alcohol products, given that such information has been provided on other drinks for many years.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department commissioned a National Institute for Health and Care Research study on understanding the impact of alcohol calorie labelling on alcohol and calorie selection, purchasing, and consumption. This study is underway, and due to end in 2026. The findings from this work will be useful in showing the potential impact of calorie labelling on reducing calorie intake and alcohol consumption.
Under our Health Mission, the Government is committed to prioritising preventative public health measures to support people to live longer, healthier lives. The Department will continue to work across Government to determine the best ways to reduce alcohol-related harms.