Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of nuclear energy in supporting an increase in the use of artificial intelligence.

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

We have watched with interest the deals struck in the US to use new nuclear power for the increasing demand for low-carbon, reliable energy to support the potential expansion of the data centres required for artificial intelligence. In the UK, nuclear remains a key part of the energy mix. The Government is committed to working with industry to support potential projects.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce barriers to building more houses in relation to environmental regulations.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The current systems of environmental assessment have become increasingly complicated, inaccessible and are failing to deliver the environmental outcomes we need. We are committed to achieving win-win outcomes for the economy and for nature and are considering how the powers to introduce Environmental Outcomes Reports can drive improvements.

Alongside this, we are working-up proposals to use development to fund nature recovery where currently both are stalled. Our commitment to the environment is unwavering which is why we will only act in legislation where we can confirm to Parliament that the steps we are taking will deliver positive environmental outcomes.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to review their policy on accepting asylum seekers from Syria in the light of the current safety situation in that country.

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

The Home Office acted swiftly to pause decisions on Syrian asylum claims whilst we assess the current situation.

We keep all country guidance relating to asylum claims under constant review so we can respond to emerging issues.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support small GB–based businesses in overcoming barriers to trade with Northern Ireland, particularly in relations to shipping difficulties.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Windsor Framework provides a wide range support for business between GB and NI.

The UK Internal Market Scheme already enables businesses to move goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland without being subject to customs duties. This is being expanded into the full UK internal market system which will further simplify the movement of goods for businesses.

There will be a competitive procurement exercise for provision of the Trader Support Service, which provides free support and guidance to businesses, to ensure continuity of service from 2026 onwards, and the current service has been extended to the end of 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the estimated costs of HS2 remain manageable and within the planned budget.

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

With delivery now well underway, this government’s current focus is the safe delivery of HS2 between Birmingham and London Euston at the lowest reasonable cost. On 20 October we set out the urgent action that we are taking to bring HS2 back under control, get a grip on costs, and ensure taxpayers’ money is put to good use.

We have reinstated ministerial oversight of the project to ensure greater accountability and have commissioned an independent review of the oversight of major transport infrastructure projects, which will investigate the effectiveness of forecasting and reporting of cost, schedule and benefits, as well as actions to deliver cost efficiencies. The recommendations from this review will inform our decisions on what further action may need to be taken.

The government is also tasking the new CEO of HS2 Ltd, Mark Wild, with producing an action plan to reset the programme and deliver the remaining work as cost effectively as possible.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Do Adults Have the Skills They Need to Thrive in a Changing World?, published on 10 December; and of its statement that more than one in three employees aged over 25 in England is overqualified for their current role.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)

The department welcomes the report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and will continue to reflect on its findings. The report offers crucial insights into how adult skills have changed since 2012, when England last participated.

These insights will support the government in the change it wants to deliver for the skills system. Last week, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, set out the ambitious milestones the government aims to reach by the end of this Parliament. Pledges include growing the economy, building an NHS fit for the future, making streets safer, opportunities for all and making Britain a clean energy superpower.

A skilled workforce is a crucial enabler to achieving these changes, which is why the department has committed to bring forward a comprehensive strategy for post-16 education and skills to help deliver the department’s Plan for Change. We are also establishing Skills England, to consider the system as a whole with greater coordination to stimulate growth. The Skills England report, which was published in September 2024, echoed similar findings to this OECD report, including the substantial impacts skills mismatches have on individuals, businesses, and the economy. The Skills England report is attached and can also be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66ffd4fce84ae1fd8592ee37/Skills_England_Report.pdf.

The department wants to develop a culture of lifelong learning, and this report shows that we can and must do more to ensure everyone has the skills they need for life.

There are few skills more important to life chances than literacy and numeracy. Whilst England has improved, the number of adults with low literacy and numeracy skills remains far too high.

This government is committing to raising literacy and numeracy levels, including through the English and mathematics Condition of Funding policy, which enables all students on 16 to 19 study programmes or T Levels who have not yet attained grade 4+ GCSE, or equivalent, in English and mathematics to access support that leads to the best outcomes for them. Further measures include the essential skills legal entitlements, providing free study funded through the Adult Skills Fund for eligible adults who do not have essential literacy and numeracy skills up to level 2.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support local councils in achieving their target for 1.5 million new homes.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government is committed to delivering 1.5 million homes over this parliament, and we have already taken decisive action to support councils to play their part in delivering a generational increase in social and affordable housing.

On 30 July, we confirmed a range of new flexibilities for councils and housing associations, both within the Affordable Homes Programme and in relation to how councils can use their Right to Buy receipts, and a further £450 million for councils through the Local Authority Housing Fund enabling councils to grow their housing stock.

At the Budget on 30 October, the Chancellor set out details of an immediate one-year cash injection of £500 million to top up the existing Affordable Homes Programme which will deliver up to 5,000 new social and affordable homes, with bidding open to councils and other social landlords. This comes ahead of the multi-year Spending Review next spring, where the Government will set out details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme.

The Chancellor also confirmed that we will reduce Right to Buy discounts to their pre-2012 regional levels and allow councils to retain 100% of the receipts generated by Right to Buy sales to better protect council stock and accelerate the replacement of those homes sold. The government is consulting on wider reforms to the Right to Buy and also on a new 5-year social housing rent settlement to provide councils and all providers with the certainty they need to invest in new social housing.

We consulted on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system from 30 July until 24 September 2024. We have now reviewed the available evidence and feedback from the consultation and published our formal response. This response outlines a number of changes in planning policy designed to support the delivery of affordable homes, including more for Social Rent, and implementing golden rules to ensure development in the Green Belt is in the public interest.

We will work in partnership with councils and providers to build capacity and ensure we build the homes people need.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to keep healthcare workers in the public sector, and in particular what consideration they have given to increasing their pay.

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

Over 1.5 million hard-working people make up the National Health Service workforce, and supporting them is at the core of delivering on our mission to build an NHS fit for the future. That is why the Government accepted all the 2024/25 pay review bodies’ recommendations for NHS staff in England.

Furthermore, we have already remitted the pay review bodies and submitted written evidence for 2025/26. This is the earliest written evidence that has been published for many years, meaning the pay setting process is on track this year. This paves the way for pay settlements to be agreed earlier.

NHS England continues to lead on a range of initiatives to boost retention of existing staff and ensure that the NHS remains an attractive career choice for new recruits.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in the healthcare system.

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

The Department has invested £9.3 million to bolster the safety of artificial intelligence (AI) in health and care, and to ensure the regulatory pathway is clear for both developers and adopters. Ensuring technologies are safe is a top priority and, through this funding, the Department has supported the launch of regulatory projects such as the AI and Digital Regulation Service (AIDRS) and the AI Airlock.

The AIDRS collaborates between the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulation Agency (MHRA), the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Health Research Authority, and the Care Quality Commission. The service, by providing a collaborative one stop shop of information, advice, and guidance, allows adopters and developers of AI to easily understand what regulatory and evaluation pathways need to be followed before an AI tool can be safety deployed across health and care.

The AI Airlock is an MHRA-led initiative, supported by the NHS AI Lab, designed to create a controlled testing environment where developers can rigorously validate AI tools in real-world clinical settings before full-scale deployment, ensuring they meet National Health Service standards for safety, efficacy, and integration into existing healthcare workflows. The AI Airlock fosters collaboration between developers, regulators, and healthcare providers, and reduces the risks associated with early-stage implementation while providing valuable feedback for developers to refine their products.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to invest in artificial technologies to aid health diagnosis, particularly in relation to detecting diabetic retinopathy.

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

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) reviewed the use of artificial intelligence technologies, such as automated grading in the NHS Diabetic Eye Screening (DES) Programme, in 2021. At the time, it concluded that this should not be used due to the limited evidence that it provides better health and value for money when compared to manual grading.

We are aware that the UK NSC has received a submission via its annual call process to consider automated retinal image analysis systems in the NHS DES programme. The UK NSC is currently reviewing all annual call proposals. Further information on the annual call process can be found on the GOV.UK website, in an online only format.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by the Creative Rights in AI Coalition, published on 16 December; and whether they intend further regulations on the use of creatively owned property to train AI.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

We have seen the statement by the Creative Rights in AI Coalition and look forward to assessing it in the context of the consultation on Copyright and AI which we published on 17 December 2024 and closes on 25 February 2025. The consultation can be found on the gov.uk website.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage more investment into new data centres in the UK.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is actively taking steps to remove blocks to the growth of our data centre sector. This includes changes to planning rules, designating the sector as critical national infrastructure (CNI), introducing new legislation to improve security and resilience, and securing more than £25 billion in investment for the sector.

CNI designation signals the Government’s intention to better partner with data centres to promote development that delivers maximum community benefit and mitigation of risks.

Additionally, as part of work to future-proof digital infrastructure, the Government is implementing cross-sectoral power reforms to reduce connection timelines and publishing an AI Opportunities Action Plan.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential the Laboratory for AI Security Research could offer for both the public and private sector.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

We are committed to building an AI sector that can scale globally and boosting responsible AI adoption across the economy.

We are aware that AI provides an increased threat to national security. DSIT is working closely with partners to understand those risks, and are using that knowledge to shape policy-making. AISI’s collaboration with the Laboratory for AI Security Research and the National Cyber Security Centre aims to understand the interplay of cybersecurity and AI security - coordinating where there are shared objectives.

This collaboration enables progress towards ensuring effective global AI governance whilst capitalising on the benefits of AI.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure consumers' data is protected from smart devices collecting more information than their function requires.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

All organisations in the UK that process personal data already have to comply with the requirements of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA).

In addition, Regulation 6 of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) sets specific rules in relation to the placement of cookies (and similar technologies) on people’s devices.

The data protection legislation requires any company processing personal data to design their products and services with privacy in mind from the start. Providers of smart devices have to consider how their product implements the data protection principles effectively and bakes in necessary safeguards to protect people's rights. For example, they must be transparent with consumers about the data they collect and how they use it, only processing data where there are legitimate grounds to do so, only using what is necessary for their purposes, and ensuring that the data is not used or shared in ways that people would not expect.

People also have rights under the data protection legislation to access their personal data, object to its processing and rights to rectification and erasure.

The legislation is monitored and enforced independently of government by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO has published a range of guidance for organisations to help them comply with their obligations, including guidance on how to design their products and services in a privacy-friendly way, available at: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/designing-products-that-protect-privacy/privacy-in-the-product-design-lifecycle/.

The ICO has also published advice for the public on protecting themselves from security risks when using smart products here: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/online/smart-products/.

Anyone concerned about the handling of their personal data by any organisation can contact the ICO further advice or to make a complaint. The ICO can be contacted by telephone on 0303 123 1113. Further contact details are on the ICO website: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/. The ICO has a number of tools to take action against those who breach the data protection legislation, including criminal prosecution, non-criminal enforcement and the power to impose civil monetary penalties.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage companies to increase diversity in senior leadership roles, particularly in relation to (1) ethnic minorities, and (2) women.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Department for Business and Trade sponsors two voluntary and business-led initiatives: the FTSE Women Leaders Review and the Parker Review on ethnic minority leadership. Both reviews encourage companies to achieve voluntary targets - 40% representation of women on boards and in senior management, and at least one ethnic minority director on company boards.

The 2024 report showed that 42.1% of the FTSE 350 board members were women behind only France who has adopted a quota approach to diversity and ahead of other countries with quotas. The 2024 Parker review reported that 77% of boards FTSE 350 boards had met their target.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support students living in London, particularly in regard to (1) high housing costs, and (2) the rising cost of living.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)

The government recognises the cost-of-living pressures experienced by many students, and that those pressures may be more acute for students living in London, due in particular to higher housing costs.

To help break down barriers to opportunity for young people who want to attend university, the department is increasing maximum loans for living costs for the 2025/26 academic year by 3.1%, in line with the forecast rate of inflation, so that more support is targeted at students from the lowest income families. This will give full-time undergraduate students from the lowest income homes, who are living away from home and studying in London, an additional £414 per year in support through the higher London rate of loan for living costs.

Since universities and student landlords are autonomous and independent from government, the department has no remit to intervene directly in the student housing market. However, since 2006, the Student Accommodation Codes of Practice have protected the interests of students to ensure standards are maintained and disputes are resolved promptly. The Code sets out clearly what information relating to fees and deposits should be made available to students and offers a route for students to raise complaints about accommodation providers. Information on the Codes can be found here: https://www.thesac.org.uk/the-code.

The most sustainable long-term method to improve housing affordability is to increase housing supply, which is why the government is committing to building 1.5 million homes this Parliament. The Renters’ Rights Bill also works to strengthen tenants’ rights as a whole. Stronger powers to challenge excessive rent hikes complement the practical steps taken to help renters by ending unfair bidding wars and tackling rental discrimination.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of job cuts on the efficiency and output of the Civil Service.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

This government is committed to ensuring departments consider overall value for money in resourcing decisions.

To this end, it has introduced a 2% target for reduction to administration budgets in financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26 and a stop to all non-essential spending on consultancy, with an aim to halve spending in future years.

As set out in the Budget, the government has committed to developing a long-term strategic plan for a more efficient and effective Civil Service, including bold options to improve skills, harness digital technology and drive better outcomes for public services.

Decisions relating to the size and cost of the Civil Service workforce will be considered as part of the Spending Review process. HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office will work closely with departments to develop plans that achieve the government’s reform objectives for the Civil Service.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to regulate, and (2) to encourage investment and innovation in the AI sector.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

We are committed to building an AI sector that can scale and win globally, ensuring conditions are right for global AI companies to want to call the UK home. The AI Opportunities Action Plan will outline how we achieve this by securing the necessary infrastructure, talent and data access, and detailing steps to support adoption across the economy.

In the King’s Speech we committed to introducing new, binding and highly targeted requirements on the handful of companies developing the most advanced AI models. They will support growth and innovation by reducing uncertainty for AI developers and boosting public trust.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how increasing funding to the Civil Service could (1) support innovation in technology and processes, and (2) improve productivity.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is committed to a strategic plan for the Civil Service which supports improved productivity and drives innovation.

In a speech on 9 December, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster set out the Government’s plans for public sector reform. Phase 2 of the Spending Review will also include a focus on how departments can support innovation and boost productivity in the Civil Service.

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