Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the cancellation of trains in response to an AI-generated image appearing to show damage to a bridge in Lancaster, what steps they are taking to respond to and prevent the suspension of rail services as a result of AI-generated images.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Lancaster incident shows how Network Rail put safety first while using every tool to verify quickly. An AI-generated image suggested bridge damage. Network Rail treated it like any unsolicited and unconfirmed report, such as a call from a member of the public, but acted fast.

Response teams apply established protocols: caution trains, suspend movements, and deploy staff for inspection. At the same time, Network Rail verify and triangulate the facts from such reports using all available tools including driver reports, CCTV, structural monitoring systems, and digital analytics. This parallel approach speeds up assurance without compromising safety.

AI and public reports can be useful inputs, but they do not replace evidence. Network Rail’s commitment is clear: act swiftly, verify carefully, and keep passengers and staff safe.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of artificial intelligence tools within the courts of England and Wales, and what guidance or safeguards are in place to ensure judicial independence, accuracy and transparency.

Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The independent judiciary have their own procedures and policies. Guidance for judicial office holders on the appropriate and responsible use of AI has been issued by the judiciary and is publicly available on the judiciary’s website.

The judiciary’s approach to AI is designed to ensure that any use of AI by judicial office holders is safe, transparent, and consistent with the principles of fairness and non-discrimination, while preserving judicial independence.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service has developed its own Responsible AI Principles to provide guardrails for the development, delivery and maintenance of AI systems to ensure use of AI in the courts and tribunals is appropriate, safe and controlled.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure robust governance, safety evaluation and transparency in their announced partnership with Google DeepMind, including the planned automated science laboratory and access to its AI models for public services.

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

The non‑binding Memorandum of Understanding between DSIT and Google DeepMind establishes a partnership for collaboration to support delivery on this government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan. This includes concrete initiatives such as priority access for UK scientists to AI tools; deepening collaboration with the AI Security Institute on AI safety and security research; and support for the development of AI-ready datasets in strategically important domains such as fusion energy.

The automated lab announced alongside the MoU is an independent Google DeepMind initiative, fully funded by Google DeepMind. The UK Government is not involved in operating or funding the lab.

The partnership with Google DeepMind will support DSIT’s efforts to explore how AI can improve productivity and service delivery across government. However, any use of AI in public services will be subject to the highest standards of safety and security, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR, the Government’s Data Ethics Framework, and relevant departmental assurance and security processes.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk that the use of AI tools by employers to research job candidates may introduce misinformation and increase the likelihood of unlawful discrimination in recruitment.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring the trusted and fair use of AI.

Through the AI Opportunities Action Plan, we committed to taking steps to drive responsible adoption of AI across sectors. This includes establishing the AI Assurance Innovation Fund. We are investing £11 million in the fund and convening a national consortium of expert stakeholders to support the quality and growth of the AI assurance market.

The Government has also published guidance on Responsible AI in Recruitment. This focuses on good practice for the procurement and deployment of AI systems for HR and recruitment. It identifies key questions, considerations, and assurance mechanisms that may be used to ensure the safe and trustworthy use of AI in recruitment.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the copyright and transparency implications of major booksellers selling fiction generated by artificial intelligence systems.

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

It is a matter for individual booksellers how they source books. However, the Government recognises the importance of clarity for right holders and consumers in understanding the origin of AI generated content.

We are currently preparing a report on copyright and artificial intelligence, for publication next year. This report will take into account a range of views and evidence.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address reports of search engines that use artificial intelligence being manipulated to direct consumers to fraudulent customer service phone numbers.

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

Frauds are increasingly sophisticated. The government is aware of reports that criminals are manipulating AI services to place scam customer service numbers at the top of search rankings.

Generative AI services which search live websites to deliver search results are regulated under the Online Safety Act. The Act also lists fraud as a priority offence, requiring companies to minimise its prevalence on their platforms and swiftly remove content when it appears. Ofcom have strong powers to ensure compliance.

The OSA is part of the solution, and the department continues to work with the Home Office as it prepares the new Fraud Strategy.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of tax and regulatory changes for businesses on employment levels.

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

Delivering on our plan to Make Work Pay is a core part of the mission to grow the economy, raise living standards and create opportunities for all. We are committed to working in partnership with businesses to realise that ambition, enabling businesses and workers to thrive.

My department has published a set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill. This analysis is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments

The OBR judged that none of the tax measures in this Budget will have a material impact to justify adjusting their employment forecast and have not yet made a judgement on the Employment Rights Bill given ongoing policy development.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that any use of live facial recognition cameras by law enforcement bodies is subject to clear safeguards to protect privacy and human rights.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

When deploying facial recognition technology, police forces must comply with existing legislation including the Human Rights Act 1998, Equality Act 2010, Data Protection Act 2018, Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, as well as their own published policies. For live facial recognition, police forces must also follow the College of Policing’s Authorised Professional Practice (APP) on Live Facial Recognition. Forces must also give due regard to the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, which is supplemented by published policing policies.

On 4 December the Government launched a 10 week public consultation on law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies. We are consulting on a new legal framework to create consistent, durable rules and appropriate safeguards for biometrics and facial recognition. This framework will aim to strike the right balance between public protection and privacy. The consultation will close week commencing 9 Feb 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of pressures facing the NHS from a surge in flu cases and staff shortages this winter, in the context of maintaining safe patient care standards.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is clear that patients should expect and receive the highest standard of care throughout the year, including during the busy winter period.

We started earlier and have done more than ever to prepare for winter this year. We continue to monitor the impact of winter pressures on the National Health Service over the winter months, providing additional support to services across the country as needed.

Flu is a recurring pressure that the NHS faces every winter. There is particular risk of severe illness for older people, the very young, pregnant people, and those with certain underlying health conditions. The flu vaccine remains the best form of defense against influenza, particularly for the most vulnerable, and continues to be highly effective at preventing severe disease and hospitalisation.

Decisions about recruitment and resourcing are a matter for individual NHS employers, who manage this at a local level to ensure they have the staff they need to deliver safe and effective care.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on household energy bills of the £28 billion electricity and gas infrastructure investment approved by Ofgem over the next five years.

Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Ofgem, the regulator, sets funding and investment allowances for gas and electricity transmission and gas distribution networks through its price control process. As confirmed in their Final Determinations for RIIO-3, covering 2026-2031, there will be an estimated net increase in bills by 2031 of around £30 a year, or less than £3 per month, though these are costs expected to decline further over time. This investment is essential to maintain a safe, reliable network, that provides energy security, whilst we move to a cleaner, and ultimately more affordable, energy system.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the scale and impact of AI-generated political misinformation on online platforms; and what steps they are taking to safeguard democratic processes.

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

The government takes the security and integrity of our democratic processes very seriously, including the risks posed by AI-generated content. While recent UK elections did not see the scale and sophistication of AI anticipated, this remains an important issue.

The Online Safety Act requires in-scope services to mitigate risks from illegal disinformation, including AI-generated content, relevant to elections (e.g. false communications). Media literacy is also part of our wider approach, building public resilience to mis- and disinformation.

The department also engages through the government’s Defending Democracy Taskforce, which is committed to safeguarding the UK from the full range of threats to democracy, including those from AI.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reported suspension of the US-UK Technology Prosperity Deal; and what impact this has on US-UK collaboration on artificial intelligence and advanced technologies.

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

The United States is our close ally and tech partner, and we are committed to ensuring that bond delivers real benefits for hardworking people on both sides of the Atlantic.

We look forward to resuming work on this partnership with the US as quickly as we can to achieve that and working together to help shape the emerging technologies of the future.

Most recently, we were pleased to announce advances in how we share cutting edge UK and US quantum research as well as TAE Technologies and the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s joint venture partnership to commercialise fusion technology in the UK.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Information Commissioner's Office's decision to issue a reprimand rather than a fine to the Post Office following the disclosure of the personal information of postmasters involved in the Horizon IT scandal.

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

The Post Office has rightly apologised for the data breach to which the noble Lord refers, which added to the injustice which this group of postmasters had already experienced. I understand that the Post Office has paid compensation for the breach. It is for the Information Commissioner, as an independent regulator, to decide what penalties are appropriate.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure AI-based systems used by public authorities comply with legal standards and protect citizens' rights.

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

The government is committed to ensuring that the adoption of artificial intelligence across the public sector is safe, effective, efficient and ethical. This work is guided by the AI Opportunities Action Plan and the AI Playbook for Government, which provide departments and public sector organisations with accessible technical guidance on the responsible use of AI.

The AI Playbook includes ethical and legal guidance for all civil servants on how to use AI safely and responsibly. This covers data protection, privacy, cybersecurity and sustainability, alongside the principles set out in the government’s pro-innovation approach to AI regulation. Departments are required to follow existing civil service-wide standards and policies, such as the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard, to ensure compliance and maintain accountability when deploying AI systems.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government how they intend to ensure consumer protection and regulatory compliance in blockchain and AI-enabled tokenised deposit models in the home-buying and mortgage markets.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Financial Conduct Authority is responsible for the regulation of the mortgage market. All FCA-authorised firms are required to comply with the Consumer Duty, which sets high standards of consumer protections and requires firms to put their customers’ needs first.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is currently consulting on reforms to the home buying and selling process. The Government has made clear its objectives that reform should support faster, more reliable transactions and reduced fall throughs and risks.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that a third of UK citizens have used AI chatbots for emotional support or social interaction and the implications for safeguarding and mental health policy frameworks.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

No such assessment has been made. We recognise that people are facing unacceptably long waiting times to access mental health support. This is why we are transforming the current mental health system so people can access the right support, at the right time, in the right place.

Building on the 10-Year Health Plan, the NHS Medium Term Planning Framework, published on 24 October 2025, sets targets for integrated care boards in 2026/27 to improve quality and access to mental health services. This includes expanding NHS Talking Therapies and expanding coverage of mental health support teams in schools and colleges.

This builds on the significant progress we’ve made since July 2024 to hire almost 7,000 extra mental health workers. And by spring next year, over 900,000 children and young people will have access to a Mental Health Support team in schools and colleagues.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the draft prostate cancer screening recommendation by the UK National Screening Committee.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We welcome the UK National Screening Committee’s (UK NSC) consideration of the evidence and robust consultation process on both the evidence and its draft recommendation. We are examining the evidence and arguments and will bring together those with differing views.

On 28 November 2025, the UK NSC opened a 12-week public consultation on a draft recommendation to:

• offer a targeted national prostate cancer screening programme to men with confirmed BRCA1/2 gene variants every two years from 45 years old to age 61 years old;
• not recommend population screening;
• not recommend targeted screening of black men;
• not recommend targeted screening of men with family history; and
• collaborate with the Transform trial team to answer outstanding questions on screening effectiveness for black men and men with a family history as soon as the trial data becomes available, and to await the results of the study to develop and trial a more accurate test than the prostate specific antigen test alone, to improve the balance of benefit and harm of screening.

After the consultation closes, in early 2026, the UK NSC will make a final recommendation on screening for prostate cancer. After receiving the final recommendation, ministers will consider whether to accept this and the next steps.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support UK universities and employers in maximising the benefits of the UK's return to the Erasmus+ student exchange programme, particularly in relation to skills and labour mobility.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

A National Agency will be appointed in due course to deliver Erasmus+ for the UK.

A website with further information will be launched by the UK’s National Agency in summer 2026. Guidance on how to apply for Erasmus+ will be available on GOV.UK, and subsequently the National Agency’s website in summer 2026.

The department will work closely with institutions and our young people to maximise take-up, particularly among disadvantaged groups, and provide certainty on complementary UK schemes so providers can plan confidently and deliver at pace.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the adoption of agentic AI systems by banks is aligned with existing financial services consumer protections and regulatory standards.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is working closely with industry and regulators to ensure that the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems by banks is aligned with existing financial services consumer protections and regulatory standards.

The treatment of customers by UK banks and building societies is governed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the independent regulator of the UK’s financial services sector. The FCA’s Principles for Businesses require firms to deliver a prompt, efficient, and fair service to all customers. In addition, the FCA’s Consumer Duty requires firms to act in good faith, avoid foreseeable harm, and act in consumers’ best interests.

The use of AI, including agentic AI, does not absolve firms from their regulatory responsibilities or the need to comply with relevant laws and regulations.

In April 2024, the FCA published an update to its regulatory approach to AI, making clear that where firms use AI as part of their business operations, they remain responsible for ensuring compliance with FCA rules.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recent economic analysis concerning the UK’s inflation outlook and associated risks to economic growth; and how this is being factored into fiscal and economic planning.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Forecasting the UK economy, including the outlook for inflation and economic growth, is the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The government set out how the economic outlook is factored into fiscal and economic planning it its autumn budget published on 26 November. Key points include:

- According to the OBR, inflation is past its peak and measures taken by the government will reduce inflation by 0.4 percentage points in 2026-27, including by lowering energy bills by around £150 from next April for the average household, and freezing regulated rail fares and prescription charges.

- The Chancellor has reaffirmed the Bank of England’s 2% Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) inflation target.

- While the Bank has overall responsibility for returning inflation to target, the government is also fully committed to tackling inflation. The most effective lever to achieve this is through responsible fiscal strategy.

- Stable prices give businesses the confidence to invest and supports the independent BoE Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), who have cut Bank Rate six times since the election.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the use of AI deepfake videos impersonating doctors to spread health misinformation on social media platforms.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises the threat posed by artificial intelligence (AI) generated deepfake videos, particularly those impersonating medical professionals to disseminate health misinformation on social media platforms.

We urge the public to be conscious of where their information is coming from, and to prioritise health information published through official National Health Service and Department websites and their verified social media accounts. These channels are maintained to ensure the accuracy and reliability of clinically verified health advice, helping to safeguard the public from misleading or harmful content.

Furthermore, the Government is leveraging the Online Safety Act to require social media platforms to swiftly remove misleading and potentially harmful content, including AI deepfakes that spread health misinformation. We are actively working in partnership with Ofcom, the United Kingdom’s communications regulator, to ensure that online platforms comply with these requirements and uphold the highest standards of safety and information integrity. This collaborative approach aims to protect individuals from digital misinformation and maintain public trust in vital health communications.