Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of support programmes available to small and medium-sized enterprises for AI adoption; and what steps they are taking to improve productivity, innovation and regional economic development.

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

We are committed to ensuring the UK is the leading adopter of AI in the G7, and the Government will look at how regulation, data and access to finance can support adoption including by working closely with sectoral AI Champions to identify new solutions. Upskilling is a crucial way to ensure the UK workforce can capitalise on the opportunities of AI. To support this, the Government has launched the AI Skills Boost campaign to upskill 10 million workers in AI skills by 2030.

We are ensuring that UK businesses can access the guidance and expertise they need to adopt AI and drive transformational growth. We are expanding Innovate UK’s BridgeAI programme across our Industrial Strategy sectors and have launched the Centre for AI-Driven Innovation in Imperial College London in partnership with the World Economic Forum. Each AI Growth Zone will also receive £5 million to go towards local AI adoption and upskilling.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the growth of UK-based AI start-ups, including the emergence of new unicorn companies; and what steps they are taking to improve access to scale-up finance, talent and long-term competitiveness in this area.

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

The UK has a flourishing AI start-up ecosystem, and as of early 2026, the UK is home to over 150 tech unicorns, ranking it 3rd globally for venture capital-backed innovation.

We’re strengthening the UK’s scale-up finance ecosystem to help high-growth companies - including AI start-ups - start, scale and remain in the UK. This includes strengthening long-term capital through an expanded remit for the National Wealth Fund, increasing its capitalisation to £27.8 billion and scaling up the British Business Bank to £25.6 billion, as well as increasing annual investments by two-thirds to around £2.5 billion and committing £5 billion to growth-stage funds.

We have a world leading R&D and talent ecosystem which is a major attraction globally. We have also established the Sovereign AI Unit, backed by up to £500 million, to invest in and support high-growth UK AI companies. Our AI Opportunities Action Plan demonstrates how we are delivering a long-term strategy to ensure that the UK remains one of the best places in the world to start, scale and grow AI companies.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of large-scale AI data centre developments on regional economic growth.

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

Data centres are foundational to a competitive UK economy, underpinning the digital services that drive productivity across sectors—from finance and advanced manufacturing to public services and the creative industries. By enabling AI, cloud computing and data‑intensive services, they deliver economy‑wide productivity gains nationally and regionally, as well as strengthen the UK’s attractiveness as an investment destination.

TechUK has estimated that UK data centres contribute £4.7 billion pounds in gross value added each year and support-tens of thousands of high-quality jobs across construction, operations and specialist supply chains. Operational employment is generally highly skilled and well paid, with wider employment supported through demand for electrical engineering, cooling, digital infrastructure and maintenance services. More widely, TechUK estimates that each job funded by data centre operations supports between 1.4–2.5 jobs in the wider economy.

HMG’s AI Growth Zone programme unlocks significant private investment and secures compute to drive AI growth, supporting high‑value local jobs and skills. HMG is investing up to £5 million per AI Growth Zone, in the North-East of England, Oxfordshire, North and South Wales, and Lanarkshire in Scotland, working with local areas to design tailored schemes to realise local economic benefits and boost AI adoption in local communities.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of AI tools in corporate governance and decision-making processes within financial institutions; and what steps they are taking to ensure that regulatory frameworks relating to accountability, transparency and oversight remain effective.

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

The Government’s ambition is to make the UK the fastest AI adopter in the G7 and encouraging safe adoption is an essential part of realising that ambition. We will continue to work closely with regulators and industry to ensure innovation proceeds safely and responsibly in the financial sector. In January 2026, the government also appointed Financial Services AI Champions to catalyse adoption and innovation of AI in this sector.

UK regulated financial firms are required to manage technology-related risks to consumers and financial stability, including those arising from the use of AI. These include requirements relating to governance and accountability. Alongside this, HM Treasury and the regulators are continually reviewing our approach as new technology develops to ensure that the framework continues to develop accordingly, and can be strengthened should this become necessary.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risks to the UK's supply chains of essential goods, including food, fuel and medicines, arising from the conflict in the Middle East; and what steps they are taking to strengthen resilience and contingency planning.

Answered by Lord Stockwood - Minister of State (HM Treasury)

DBT continuously assesses supply chain risks, mitigations, and potential interventions. The UK’s economic fundamentals remain strong. Supply of inputs and commodities remains stable and generally well diversified.

As the UK imports very low amounts of petrol, diesel and crude oil from the Middle East, we have not experienced supply issues. The Middle East is not a major source of UK food imports. Government does not currently expect any impact on food availability for consumers.

Government has already acted to strengthen UK economic resilience, including expanding the forthcoming British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) and restarting production at the Ensus plant.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the UK economy of the conflict in the Middle East, including impact on energy prices, trade and inflation; and what steps they are taking to ensure economic resilience.

Answered by Lord Stockwood - Minister of State (HM Treasury)

Government is closely monitoring the potential impact of disruption to trade and the wider economy. As with the conflict itself, there remains uncertainty about the scale and duration of the resulting economic and trade shock.

The UK has a diverse and resilient energy system, and Government has already taken action on energy prices, including allocating £50m for heating oil support for low‑income households and expanding the forthcoming British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS).

Rapid de-escalation in the Middle East remains the best way to protect the UK economy. Government continues to work internationally to support a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support international competitiveness, inward investment and the development of AI infrastructure in the UK.

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

AI is the defining technology of our era, with the potential to transform productivity across the entire economy. We are working to ensure the growth and productivity gains from new technology are realised in the UK to the benefit of working people.

We’ll do this by building sufficient compute to protect our interests and avoid excessive dependencies on others. We have already announced five AI Growth Zones and are working with local authorities, regulators and industry to identify suitable locations, accelerate delivery and remove barriers to development. At the same time, we are backing sectors where the UK has real strengths through our Sovereign AI Unit, which will invest directly in promising UK AI companies.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of data security risks associated with the adoption of artificial intelligence systems by small and medium-sized enterprises in the hospitality sector; and what guidance they have issued about the safe deployment of those systems.

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

Organisations that process personal data through the deployment of AI systems must comply with the UK’s data protection legislation, as set out in the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA). This includes a requirement to put in place appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure the security of personal data.

The Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK’s independent regulator for data protection, has published guidance for organisations on artificial intelligence and data protection available at: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/artificial-intelligence/. Additionally, the UK Government has published a Code of Practice that sets baseline security requirements for AI tools, models and systems. The Code has informed the development of an AI security global standard in ETSI (EN 304 223) which was published in December 2025.

The Government also supports the UK’s AI assurance market, and has set out our ambitions for the sector in the Roadmap to Trusted Third-Party AI Assurance. AI assurance is crucial to ensure that AI systems are developed and deployed responsibly and in compliance with the law, so that businesses can confidently invest in new AI products and innovate at pace.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of AI tools in supporting the treatment and management of cancer in the NHS; and what steps they are taking to ensure that those tools improve patient outcomes while maintaining safety and data protection standards.

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

The Government recognises the significant potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to support the treatment and management of cancer across the National Health Service, particularly through improving diagnostic accuracy, supporting clinical decision making, and helping clinicians prioritise care more effectively.

The Department is focusing the £21 million AI Diagnostic Fund on the deployment of technologies in key, high-demand areas, such as chest X-Ray and chest computed tomography scans, to enable faster diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer in over half of acute trusts in England.

The Government and NHS England are committed to the safe, ethical, and evidence-based adoption of AI. All AI technologies used in the NHS must meet robust regulatory requirements, including approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulation Agency, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Health Research Authority, and the Care Quality Commission, as well as UK General Data Protection Regulations, and the Data Protection Act 2018.

NHS organisations remain responsible for deciding whether to deploy AI technologies locally, based on clinical need, safety, value for money, and alignment with national standards. The Government will continue to work closely with NHS England, regulators, and clinicians to ensure AI is used in ways that improve cancer outcomes while maintaining the highest standards of safety, transparency, and data protection.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of AI-related data centre energy demand on energy infrastructure; and what steps they are taking to ensure energy demand from those data centres does not increase costs for consumers.

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

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Lord.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reliability of AI systems in supporting medical diagnosis, particularly in cases where patient data is incomplete; and what steps they are taking to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect patient safety and support clinical decision-making.

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

The Government recognises the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to support clinicians in medical diagnosis, while being clear that such technologies must be safe, effective, and used appropriately.

AI systems in healthcare are intended to support, not replace, clinical judgement. Their reliability depends in part on the quality and completeness of patient data, and the Government is clear that a qualified healthcare professional must remain involved in decision‑making. Managing risks associated with incomplete data requires both robust system design and wider improvements in how patient information is accessed and shared across the health and care system.

All AI technologies used for medical diagnosis in the National Health Service must comply with medical device regulations and clinical safety standards. These should specifically consider risks such as false positives, false negatives, and performance degradation where data are incomplete.

The Government is also improving data foundations through the development of a Single Patient Record, which aims to provide a clear, unified view of a patient’s history wherever they have received care. This will support safer, faster, and better‑informed clinical decision‑making by enabling seamless access across care settings, while building on existing systems such as Electronic Patient Records, Shared Care Records, and the Federated Data Platform.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of AI tools in supporting the early detection and diagnosis of cardiovascular conditions; and what steps they are taking to support the safe and effective adoption of those technologies in the NHS.

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

The Government is actively deploying artificial intelligence (AI) technologies across the National Health Service to support the earlier detection and diagnosis of cardiovascular conditions. We are supporting the safe and effective adoption of AI tools such as AI-assisted echocardiography, automated electrocardiogram interpretation and digital stethoscope recordings. We are supporting this through robust regulatory and assurance processes, closely aligned to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Evidence Standards Framework for Digital Health Technologies, ensuring that AI technologies are clinically validated and used to support, not replace, professional clinical judgement.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential for AI technologies to accelerate drug discovery and development; and what steps they are taking to support innovation, investment and adoption in the NHS and UK life sciences sector.

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

Researchers in the UK are already pioneering AI-driven applications in drug discovery, and we are taking steps to capture the opportunities this presents. Backed by up to £137m of investment, DSIT's AI for Science Strategy recently launched government's first AI for Science Mission, which will focus on harnessing the technology to accelerate drug discovery and deploy new treatments faster. The Sovereign AI Unit also provided seed funding to the OpenBind consortium to generate foundational protein-ligand structural data to power the next era of AI for drug design.

The Life Sciences Sector Plan and 10-Year Health Plan set out our vision to harness UK science and support adoption of innovation throughout the NHS to drive better health. For example, the Health Innovation Network plays a vital role in connecting innovators with NHS systems and supporting health and social care teams to identify, test and implement new solutions at scale - having already supported over 4.9 million patients.

Across the board, our plans also strengthen investment opportunities and partnerships across data, discovery and clinical trials to drive a thriving UK life sciences sector. This is demonstrated most recently by Boehringer Ingelheim’s investment of £150 million in King’s Cross to build capacity in AI and Machine Learning.

Finally, the launch of the Single National Formulary will play a key role in supporting equitable access and adoption of the most clinically and cost-effective medicines across England.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of screen time and digital technology use on early childhood development; and what steps they are taking to support parents and early years providers in managing the use of such technologies among young children.

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

On 27 March, the government published Best Start in Life advice about screen use for children aged 0 to 5, which is available on the Best Start in Life website.

​The advice is informed by an expert panel’s independent report, which draws on quantitative and qualitative research, including engagement with parents, carers and stakeholders. It emphasises that screen use should be carefully managed, with a focus on supporting healthy development, encouraging active play, sleep, and positive interactions, helping parents to make informed, balanced decisions about technology use.

Guidance on appropriate electronic device and screen usage for early years settings is available on the Help for Early Years Providers platform.

Following the publication of our new screen use advice, we will update our guidance for early years settings, to align and strengthen the information on screen use and digital literacy for early years practitioners.

We will take the next opportunity to reference the updated Help for Early Years Providers guidance in the Early Years Foundation Stage frameworks.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of fintech firms in providing capital to support scaling businesses.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The UK is a world leader in Fintech, and attracted $3.6 billion of investment in 2025, second only to the US. The Government is committed to making the UK the world’s most technologically advanced global financial centre, and remaining a leading jurisdiction for fintech firms to start-up, scale and list.

Over the last decade, fintechs and specialist banks have commanded a materially higher share of new SME lending, and are an essential part of the UK's credit landscape, including access to working capital. The share of total nominal gross bank lending to SMEs by challenger and specialist banks in 2024 was 60%. Over the same period, business models and financial technology have also evolved substantially, with more competition both for business banking and credit provision, increasing the options available to small and medium-sized enterprises to invest in and grow their businesses.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of AI tools to generate legal correspondence and documentation.

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

While government has published general principles and guidance on the responsible use of AI, focused on use within government and the public sector, it has not made a specific assessment of the use of AI tools to generate legal correspondence and documentation in the wider public domain or in private sector legal practice.

Existing guidance and resources on the AI Knowledge Hub, which includes the AI Playbook, are intended to support public sector organisations to adopt AI safely, responsibly and effectively, by setting out principles, legal and ethical considerations, and practical support rather than evaluating or endorsing particular uses or tools.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of AI technologies in the modernisation of energy systems.

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

The Department is working at pace to understand and develop the opportunities AI brings to the energy system. The AI Clean Energy Strategy will be published in the autumn, and will set out next steps on reforms and a delivery roadmap.

In parallel, the Department has commissioned the AI and Clean Energy Champion to produce a review of AI opportunities in the electricity networks, due to conclude in June. This will study potential benefits and barriers to deployment.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of the increasing use of AI tools in the creation and distribution of digital content for intellectual property frameworks and the UK's creative industries; and what steps they are taking to support innovation while protecting the rights of creators and rights holders.

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

The Government recognises that there is an increasing use of AI tools and other forms of technical innovation by the creative industries in their creative process, including in the creation and distribution of digital content.

The Government believes that copyright laws must protect the UK’s position as a creative powerhouse while unlocking the extraordinary potential of AI-driven innovation to grow the economy and improve British lives. The Government published a Report and Impact Assessment on AI and copyright on 18 March, outlining the steps it is taking to move us forward in this area.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the increasing use of AI-driven personalised marketing by large retailers; and what steps they are taking to ensure that regulatory frameworks relating to consumer protection, data use and competition remain effective.

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

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that regulation keeps pace with new technologies.

In 2025, Government implemented the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 to strengthen the competition and consumer regimes and establish a bespoke regime for digital markets, which will ensure the most powerful technology firms treat businesses and consumers fairly. It also strengthened the Competition and Market Authority's consumer enforcement powers, empowering the CMA and courts to impose significant monetary penalties of up to 10% of turnover.

Where storage and access technologies, such as cookies, are used in personalised marketing, the user must be provided clear and comprehensive information about the purpose of such technology and consent to its use. Any personal data used in personalised marketing must follow the rules and principles of the GDPR. The Information Commissioner’s Office is responsible for enforcement.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of investment in AI technologies on productivity growth in the UK; and what steps they are taking to support the adoption of AI across the economy.

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

The OECD estimates that widespread AI adoption could boost UK productivity by 0.4-1.3 percentage points annually through automation and augmentation, potentially adding £55-140bn in GVA by 2030. That combined with the opportunities this technology brings for people is why we have set the ambition to make the UK the country with the fastest rate of AI adoption in the G7.

DSIT's Secretary of State and the Chancellor have made it clear that accelerating AI adoption is a key priority for this government. We will soon host the AI Adoption Summit, to support industry to adopt and scale AI to help workers and grow their businesses. This will complement existing activity across DSIT designed to support business AI adoption, such as our AI and digital upskilling programmes, dedicated guidance and support for SMEs through Innovate UK’s BridgeAI programme, and the AI Growth Lab, a cross-economy AI sandbox which will enable responsible AI products and services to be deployed under close supervision in live markets.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the UK’s performance, relative to global peers, in translating AI innovation into commercial and economic outcomes; and what steps they are taking to support competitiveness, scale-up growth and technology adoption in this area.

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

We have a strong and globally competitive AI ecosystem, and we are focused on ensuring that this strength translates into commercial success, productivity gains and public benefit.

We have established the Sovereign AI Unit, backed by up to £500 million, to invest in and support high-growth UK AI companies. The Government will encourage innovation by acting as a first customer for promising UK start-ups that are building high-quality AI hardware products through an Advance Market Commitment of up £100 million. We are also strengthening the UK’s scale-up finance ecosystem more broadly, including increasing the capitalisation of the National Wealth Fund to £27.8 billion and scaling up the British Business Bank to £25.6 billion, with expanded investment into growth-stage funds.

We are committed to ensuring the UK is the leading adopter of AI in the G7, and the Government will look at how regulation, data and access to finance can support adoption including by working closely with sectoral AI Champions to identify new solutions. DSIT will track the UK's progress by using national and international adoption surveys, applying adjustments where needed to improve cross-country comparability.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the expansion of fintech firms, including Wise, Klarna, Revolut and Paypal, into current accounts and other core banking services on competition, consumer choice and market concentration in the retail banking sector.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The UK is a world leader in Fintech, and attracted $3.6 billion of investment in 2025, second only to the US. The Government is committed to making the UK the world’s most technologically advanced global financial centre, and remaining a leading jurisdiction for fintech firms to start-up, scale and list.

Over the last decade, fintechs and specialist banks have increased their share amongst part of the retail banking market, and are an essential part of the UK's banking landscape. Over the same period, business models and financial technology have evolved substantially, increasing competitive pressure and expanding the range of products and services available to consumers.

Firms providing regulated banking and payment services are required to meet robust standards of consumer protection and operational resilience. The Government and the financial services regulators keep competition and market concentration in retail banking under review, and ensuring all individuals have access to the appropriate financial services and products is a key priority for the Government.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of AI in supporting personalised healthcare and extending patient life expectancy; and what plans they have to develop a strategy for safe and effective integration of AI technologies in the NHS.

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

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to establish a statutory inquiry into maternity services.

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

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Guardian article Alarm in health service over Palantir staff being given NHS email accounts, published on 8 April, stating that external technology contractors have been granted access to NHS systems and communications; and what safeguards are in place to ensure data security, patient confidentiality and appropriate oversight.

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

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of AI and data analytics platforms by the NHS, including in partnerships with private technology providers; and what steps they are taking to ensure that use of those platforms complies with standards of data protection and transparency.

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

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Times article OpenAI pauses Stargate UK investment over high energy costs, published on 9 April; and what steps they are taking to ensure that the UK remains an attractive destination for AI-related capital investment.

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

The UK continues to be an attractive destination for AI investment as reflected in OpenAI’s ongoing and expanding presence here through its recent announcement for a large permanent office in London, doubling the current OpenAI headcount here.

The UK Government announced measures to provide price support and accelerate planning and grid connections for AI Growth Zones in November, improving the environment for AI infrastructure in the UK.

OpenAI will continue operating in the UK and have confirmed they will bring their second HQ forward in London - a clear recognition of the UK as a global hub for AI innovation. The Government recognises OpenAI’s decision to pause Stargate UK as part of a wider recalibration of its global Stargate programme, rather than a reflection of conditions specific to the UK.

The Government remains committed to supporting large-scale AI infrastructure through the AI Growth Zone programme, including action to reduce energy costs and address regulatory barriers.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the long-term implications of increased use of digital payments and financial technologies for tax collection, and what steps they are taking to ensure that revenue collection remains effective.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC undertakes regular Payment Innovation landscape reviews, looking at the UK and international payment ecosystems, emerging payment technologies, and innovations relevant to tax administration and payment systems integration. This includes working with the payments sector and tracking usage of payment types.

HMRC has developed and published its Payment Strategy which sets out how it will keep pace with new and emerging technologies for payments.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the increasing use of AI tools in skilled trades and service industries; and, if so, how that assessment informs their policies on workforce training and productivity.

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

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for competition and market access of the integration of AI tools into digital platforms; and what steps they are taking to ensure fair competition and effective regulation in digital markets.

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

The Government is committed to delivering a competitive and prosperous digital economy. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is responsible for assessing and addressing competition in digital markets. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act provides the CMA with powers to ensure the most powerful technology firms treat businesses and consumers fairly.

On 31 March the CMA announced a package of actions on business software and cloud services, in part to enable it to ensure a level playing field as AI is rapidly embedded into everyday business software tools.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that planning policy, energy provision and digital infrastructure are sufficient to support the building of AI data centres.

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

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the use of AI in the delivery of postgraduate teaching at UK universities, and (2) the impact of the use of AI for teaching on higher education quality and regulation.

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

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.