Lord Nagaraju

As announced following our landmark "growing up in the online world" consultation this summer, we will introduce mandatory breaks in AI chatbot use for under-18s. This was alongside commitments to take stronger action against chatbots that provide harmful, inaccurate or unverified mental health advice.

We are working at pace on the policy development necessary to deliver targeted, effective and proportionate regulation. Our aim is to deliver these measures quickly.

The government announced a range of proposals to help identify and mitigate AI-related risks affecting the UK’s essential services during the passage of the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill. These included a voluntary reporting regime that would enable regulated entities to report near-miss loss of control incidents affecting their systems; further detail on how the existing mandatory reporting duties for those entities would apply to AI incidents; and the ability to confer functions on the Secretary of State to understand loss of control incidents, share lessons and help to prevent future harm. The details of these proposals will be subject to further policy development and consulted upon as part of the implementation of the bill.

Existing procedures already provide flexibility for Noble Lords to scrutinise fast-moving issues, including by means of topical oral questions, Private Notice Questions, and Questions for Written Answer. The Government also makes regular statements, and Urgent Questions asked in the House of Commons may be repeated.

The Procedure and Privileges Committee has no plans to pilot a regular dedicated topical question or other recurring scrutiny opportunity focused on artificial intelligence, but the Committee is always open to considering proposals from Noble Lords to refine and improve the House's procedures.

New guidance on filming and photography in the House of Lords has recently been published and was communicated to Members this month. This guidance covers camera, microphone and AI-enabled smart glasses as well as other technologies. Recording is not permitted without appropriate authorisation.

In addition, a specific review of Parliament’s policy on the use of camera, microphone and AI-enabled smart glasses on the Parliamentary Estate is currently underway. The review is considering the implications of these emerging technologies and whether additional guidance is required. This work will bring together expertise from those responsible for filming and photography policy, physical and information security, privacy and data protection compliance and accessibility and reasonable-adjustment requirements, ensuring that any future approach appropriately balances security, privacy, operational needs and accessibility considerations. This review will engage with the Member governance bodies of both Houses as appropriate.

AISI maintains strong relationships with all frontier AI developers, that whilst voluntary, are bound by memoranda of understanding, and continues to test the world’s most capable models prior to their deployment. Only this month, we tested OpenAI’s most powerful model, GPT-6 Astra, before it was released to the public. AISI has tested dozens of models from leading AI companies, including OpenAI, Google DeepMind and Anthropic.

AI is already subject to UK law and regulation through existing laws and expert regulators. But the most advanced AI systems present risks that do not stop at national borders, and we know that these challenges cannot be addressed by a single country alone. That is why the Prime Minister has made artificial intelligence a central focus of Britain’s G20 Presidency next year, and committed to work towards principles and standards that ensure the most capable AI systems are developed securely and with appropriate transparency. The AI Security Institute (AISI) will play a key role in delivering this global commitment, with partners across industry, governments and beyond.

The Minister for Artificial Intelligence, joint Minister in BIST and the Cabinet Office, leads on Sovereign AI. The Government will continue to keep Parliament informed of progress on AI sovereignty through mechanisms including ministerial statements, responses to Parliamentary Questions, appearances before Select Committees, and published updates.

AI has enormous potential to improve lives and drive economic growth, but its rapidly advancing capabilities also present serious risks. As the Prime Minister has said the UK will work towards agreement on common global principles and standards.

In the coming months, we will use our convening role to bring together the right partners to use AI for good and address its risks, engaging international counterparts, industry, researchers and the wider international system, including the UN.

On 22 September, the Prime Minister set out steps the UK is taking to ensure AI delivers on its vast potential for good. These include a commitment to work towards principles and standards so that the most capable AI systems are developed securely and with appropriate transparency.

The AI Security Institute (AISI) will play a key role in delivering that commitment, contributing its technical expertise, drawing on years of experience in evaluation, research and technical collaboration.

Through our role as coordinator of the International Network for Advanced AI Measurement, Evaluation, and Science (NAAIMES), the UK will also continue to coordinate the writing and publication of best practices for AI evaluation with partner governments, following on from Best Practice: Automated Evaluation of Large Language Models, published by the Network in 2026.

The Government is committed to ensuring the benefits of AI are shared globally and that all countries can help shape the frameworks that govern its use.

The Prime Minister recently announced that AI will be at the heart of our G20 Presidency agenda. Building on our programmes such as AI for Development (AI4D), the Government will champion responsible AI for sustainable development, and will work with the G20's diverse membership to hold inclusive discussions on AI, ensuring diverse perspectives are represented which reflect the priorities of all members.

The Government has established the AI Economics Institute to assess AI’s economic impacts and launched the AI taskforce to drive the Government’s overall strategy. Every UK adult is eligible for free AI upskilling through AI Skills Boost, with an ambition to upskill 10 million workers by 2030.

The Government is committed to ensuring that no young person is left behind. Through an additional £2.5 billion investment in the Youth Guarantee and Growth and Skills Levy by 2029, we will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn, including through expanded Youth Hubs, enhanced Jobcentre support, work experience and training opportunities, and targeted incentives for employers.

We are also supporting over 400,000 young people to obtain TechFirst AI training, alongside developing apprenticeship schemes and Jobs Guarantee AI placements, to help ensure young people can benefit from the opportunities created by AI.

We welcome the ambition of the British Retail Consortium to create 100,000 jobs for young people in the retail sector by 2029. This will be supported by Opening Shift, a joint DWP and BRC work experience programme that will provide 18 to 24-year-old jobseekers with retail work experience, workplace support and interview preparation.

We also welcome the commitment from major hospitality employers, including Whitbread, McDonald's, Nando's, Marriott, Compass, Burger King and Wagamama, to provide over 100,000 jobs for 18 to 24-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training by the end of this Parliament. These opportunities will be supported by a hospitality training programme offering sector-specific experience, guaranteed interviews and a Hospitality Skills Passport.

People can access the NHS Talking Therapies service through general practice referral or self‑referral, and support is tailored to individual need, recognising the variation in severity and the complexity of common mental health conditions.

NHS Talking Therapies provide National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended, evidence‑based psychological therapies, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), for adults with common mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. Treatment decisions, including the appropriateness of CBT, are assessed by trained and accredited National Health Service practitioners, using clinical judgement in line with national guidance.

The Department and NHS England keep the performance of NHS Talking Therapies under continual review, including access, waiting times, and treatment outcomes. Talking Therapy waiting times are already routinely published on the NHS England website.

We also continue to strengthen the evidence base for NHS Talking Therapies through ongoing evaluation activity, including independent analysis of specific service components, and will consider these findings as part of further work to improve effectiveness and patient outcomes.

The UK participates in G7 cross border coordination exercises which seek to enhance preparedness across jurisdictions, reinforce the financial sector’s capacity to withstand a range of cyber threats and reduce potential disruptions across G7 jurisdictions.

Cyber security is a top priority for the Government, and HM Treasury works with international partners to strengthen the financial sector’s resilience to threats and hazards of all origins.

Building on our existing UK-US defence cooperation, this partnership will focus on AI and autonomy collaboration, to help protect critical national infrastructure, from sea lanes to airspace. It will accelerate the delivery of trusted, interoperable capabilities that strengthen deterrence and maintain both nations' technological edge.

The UK is demonstrating leadership in the efficient, responsible and safe deployment of AI.