Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings have been held by ministers and officials at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport between July 2024 and February 2025 specifically addressing artificial intelligence and copyright issues; what was the distribution of these meetings between representatives of (1) creative industries, (2) artificial intelligence technology companies, and (3) meetings with both sectors represented, with a breakdown of these figures by month; and whether minutes of these meetings are publicly available.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to hearing a broad range of views to help inform its approach to copyright and AI.
Ministerial meetings are published according to normal transparency requirements.
The current best estimate of the number of meetings involving officials at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (including the Intellectual Property Office) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport between July 2024 and February 2025 is in the table below.
Month | Creative Industries | AI technology companies | Meetings with both sectors represented |
July ‘24 | 3 | 1 |
|
August ‘24 | 2 | 2 |
|
September ‘24 | 6 | 2 |
|
October ‘24 | 12 | 3 | 3 |
November ‘24 | 8 | 6 | 1 |
December ‘24 | 4 | 5 | 2 |
January ‘25 | 9 | 12 | 5 |
February ‘25 | 8 | 8 | 6 |
This includes meetings where officials from both departments attended.
The minutes of official level meetings are not routinely published
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to introduce specific legislation addressing copyright and artificial intelligence following their consultation; what consideration they have given to incorporating copyright protections for creative works within the Data (Use and Access) Bill rather than through separate legislation; and what impact assessment they have conducted on the potential effects on creative industries of the Data (Use and Access) Bill being enacted before establishing clear copyright frameworks for artificial intelligence.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government’s consultation on Copyright and AI closed on 25th February. It would be premature to legislate now: the Government is clear that no changes will be considered unless we are completely satisfied we are delivering a solution which works for creators. Our priority is to review the evidence from the consultation which will inform the Government response, including any legislative proposals.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential economic benefits of establishing a dedicated Cultural Heritage Zone in Stoke-on-Trent, similar to models employed in Jingdezhen, China, that might integrate pottery production with cultural tourism and educational opportunities.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government recognises Stoke-on-Trent’s rich ceramics heritage and its potential for economic growth. While no formal assessment has been made of the potential economic benefits of a dedicated Cultural Heritage Zone, we are continuing to support the city’s creative and heritage sectors through a range of initiatives. Our support includes £370,000 to boost creative industry skills in Stoke-on-Trent College, alongside the Small Community and Heritage Assets Grants Programme which has supported creative businesses in the region.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what interdepartmental collaboration exists between the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to develop a comprehensive strategy for the sustainable growth of Stoke-on-Trent's pottery industry as both a manufacturing sector and a cultural asset.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government recognises Stoke-on-Trent’s rich ceramics heritage and its potential for economic growth. While no formal assessment has been made of the potential economic benefits of a dedicated Cultural Heritage Zone, we are continuing to support the city’s creative and heritage sectors through a range of initiatives. Our support includes £370,000 to boost creative industry skills in Stoke-on-Trent College, alongside the Small Community and Heritage Assets Grants Programme which has supported creative businesses in the region.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to facilitate export opportunities for Stoke-on-Trent's pottery manufacturers, particularly to high-value international markets; and whether they have considered implementing targeted export assistance programs specifically for the sector.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is committed to supporting businesses, including Stroke-on-Trent’s pottery manufacturers, grow and export. Under the umbrella of the recently announced Business Growth Service, UK businesses can access DBT’s wealth of export support via Great.gov.uk. This comprises an online support offer and a wider network of support including the Export Academy, UK Export Finance, the International Markets network and one-to-one support from International Trade Advisers.
This support is available to all UK businesses including those that manufacture and wish to export pottery. DBT’s International Trade Advisers will also continue to work closely with Ceramics UK to ensure businesses in the sector access this support.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what research they have commissioned or reviewed regarding the successful revitalisation strategies employed in Jingdezhen, China's pottery industry; and how these insights might be adapted to strengthen Stoke-on-Trent's ceramics sector while respecting its unique heritage and market position.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Department of Business and Trade works closely with the sector to understand its challenges and provide support to help its global competitiveness.
Through our continued engagement with Ceramics UK and its membership, we will inquire whether the sector has any thoughts on revitalisation strategies deployed in China.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what tax incentives or business rate relief measures they are considering to support small and medium-sized pottery enterprises in Stoke-on-Trent, particularly those focusing on traditional production methods and local employment.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has introduced a number of tax measures to support small and medium-sized enterprises across the country, including those in the pottery sector in Stoke-on-Trent.
At the Autumn Budget, the Government published the Corporate Tax Roadmap to provide certainty for businesses to invest, committing to maintaining the Annual Investment Allowance at £1 million, which covers the qualifying expenditure of the vast majority of businesses.
The Government also took the decision to support the smallest businesses by increasing the Employment Allowance to £10,500, which means that this year, 865,000 employers (43%) will pay no National Insurance contributions at all.
At Autumn Budget, the Government also froze the small business multiplier. Together with Small Business Rates Relief, which exempts over a third of properties from business rates, these measures protect 90% of properties from inflationary increases in business rate liabilities. The Government also remains committed to delivering a fairer business rates system.
The Government keeps all tax reliefs under review, in order to ensure they strike the right balance between keeping taxes simple to administer, well-targeted and effective.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is taking to support the creative arts sector in its discussions with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on artificial intelligence and copyright.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government recognises the importance of the UK’s copyright regime to the economic success of the creative industries, one of eight growth-driving sectors as identified in our Industrial Strategy. We are committed to supporting rights holders by ensuring they retain control over and receive fair payment for their work, especially as technology advances to include AI.
This is an area where the Department for Culture, Media and Sport works closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). We are actively working with stakeholders to ensure copyright protections remain robust and fit for purpose.
As part of this commitment, we have launched a public consultation on Copyright and AI, which opened on the 17 December and closed on the 25 February. This consultation sought to engage stakeholders across AI and the creative industries to assess and address the evolving challenges of copyright regulation.
We will now consider the full range of responses we have received through our consultation on any new approach. No decisions will be taken until we are absolutely confident we have a practical plan that delivers each of our objectives. We will continue to develop our policy approach with DSIT and the IPO in partnership with creative industries, media and AI stakeholders - supporting our brilliant artists and the creative industries to work together with the AI sector to harness the opportunities this technology provides.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any skills gaps in the retrofit and green construction workforce; and whether they have identified any upskilling needs.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The government’s ambition to build 1.5 million new homes over this Parliament needs a strong, skilled workforce. So far, the government has taken steps to achieving this ambition, including overhauling the planning system and introducing 32 new Homebuilding Skills Hubs. These will deliver fast-track training in critical areas such as bricklaying, groundwork, and site carpentry, to boost housebuilding and drive forward the government’s Growth and Opportunity Missions.
Around 5,000 more construction apprenticeship places will be made available per year by the 2027/28 financial year from £140 million industry investment.
The specific skills needed for retrofit and green construction are increasingly in demand. Green construction skills include heat pump installation and historic building retrofit, as well as a breadth of traditional construction skills such as insulation and electrical. The sector needs a combination of upskilling and new recruits to meet the demand induced by new infrastructure projects, the 1.5 million houses target and ongoing steady-state demand.
As set out in Skills England’s first report, the Construction Industry Training Board (sponsored by but independent of government) forecast that, before any new projects had been factored in, 252,000 extra workers were needed between 2024 to 2028 across the UK. Also as mentioned in report, construction is one of the sectors where upskilling is required to enable workers to use new technology, particularly as pertains to retrofit and green building methods.
The construction sector faces some acute skills and workforce shortages. According to the department’s 2022 Employer Skills Survey, which is the latest available data, construction was the industry with the highest proportion of vacancies due to skills shortages. Roughly a third of construction occupations are in high demand (6% in 'critical demand' by Standard Occupational Classification Code). These include quantity surveyors, groundworkers and crane drivers.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of domestic construction materials production capacity, including; (1) the current proportion of construction materials used in the UK which are imported; (2) opportunities to increase domestic production; (3) strategic priorities for reducing import dependency; and (4) key materials for which domestic production could be expanded.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government's Plan for Change milestones of 1.5 million new homes over five years and 150 decisions on major infrastructure projects by the end of the Parliament, will see a significant increase in demand for construction materials, that will provide greater certainty for construction material suppliers. Currently 75% of all construction materials used in the UK are made in the UK. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) works closely with the Construction Leadership Council's Materials Supply Chain Group on product availability, and regularly reviews opportunities to address capability and capacity gaps, including through targeted Foreign Direct Investment.