Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for establishing a dedicated regulator for advanced artificial intelligence models.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The government is ensuring that the UK is ready for both the challenges and opportunities that AI will bring. We have taken important steps to ensure that most AI systems are already regulated at the point of use by our existing expert regulators. This is both through sector-specific regulations such as medicines regulation, and cross-cutting legal safeguards including data protection, competition, product safety, and equalities laws.

The government has been clear that we will legislate where needed but will do so based on evidence where gaps have been identified. The government will act where these laws are not enough to ensure AI security. We are exploring whether additional protections are needed.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to strengthen safeguards against the use of artificial intelligence to design or develop biological agents that could pose a risk to public health.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The UK Biological Security Strategy sets out the vision that, by 2030, the UK is resilient to a spectrum of biological risks and a world leader in responsible innovation. This vision seeks to harness the transformative role that artificial intelligence will play across the life sciences whilst recognising the dual-use risk that such frontier technologies can pose.

That is why earlier this year, the Ministry of Defence announced an investment of £115 million to raise the UK’s defences against the threats from AI, including using AI to improve our biological security and mitigate risks posed by autonomous AI agents. This is alongside investment of over £1.83 billion to establish a Network of National Biosecurity Centres, including £1 billion in Weybridge, £580 million in Dstl Porton Down, and £250 million over this Parliament in Harwell to bolster defences against biological incidents, accidents and attacks.

Through the AI Security Institute, HMG works proactively with frontier laboratories to test the capability of models and advise them on where safeguards can, and should, be strengthened to prevent risks emerging.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support businesses to adopt artificial intelligence in ways that increase productivity without reducing employment opportunities for lower-skilled workers.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is supporting businesses to adopt AI in ways that boost productivity and create opportunities for workers.

In June, we launched the Pro-Worker AI Adoption Prize, recognising organisations that use AI to raise productivity, equip workers with new capabilities and create jobs. Through AI Skills Boost, we are providing free AI training and will help 10 million workers gain essential AI skills by 2030. The Early Careers Jobs Alliance will support continued access to high-quality opportunities for young people.

We are also strengthening evidence on AI’s labour market impacts through the AI Economics Institute, monitoring effects on jobs and skills.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that consumers using artificial intelligence for financial planning receive appropriate safeguards against inaccurate or unsuitable advice.

Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government wants consumers to be able to access high-quality support to make informed decisions about their finances and is committed to the safe adoption of AI in financial services, including financial guidance and advice. We support a principles-based, outcomes-focused approach to AI regulation enabling firms to innovate while maintaining high standards of consumer protection.

We recognise that general-purpose AI technology has already changed the nature of financial advice and guidance.

On 6 July, the Financial Conduct Authority published the Mills Review, which recommended a rapid FCA review on this issue.

On 14 July, the Government published the Financial Services AI Champions’ Adoption Plan, which included a high-priority recommendation that the FCA should consider the impacts of financial guidance and advice-like outputs through general purpose large language models (LLMs).

The Government are engaging with the FCA to determine next steps. This is an important piece of work that complements the Government’s broader ambition to make the UK a global leader in AI, leveraging our dual strengths in financial services and AI to drive growth, productivity and better, safe outcomes for consumers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to strengthen the cyber resilience of companies providing technology and digital services to the NHS.

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

As I set out in my answer of 3 July 2026 in response to the Noble Lord’s question HL8927, we have a dedicated workstream in the Cyber Improvement Programme that is focused on this particular risk, developing tools and processes to increase cyber assurance and resilience. In May 2025, we published the cyber security supply chain charter, designed to support suppliers and their customers in reducing the likelihood and impact of a cyber incident.

For ease of reference, HL8927 has been reproduced below:

In the past year we have invested £37.6 million across health and social care, building on the £338 million invested since 2017. Through our ambitious Cyber Improvement Programme, we are tackling the changing cyber risk head-on, expanding protection and services to better protect the health and care system.

The health and social care supply chain is large and complex. We have a dedicated workstream in the Cyber Improvement Programme that is focused on this particular risk, developing tools and processes to increase cyber assurance and resilience.

Published in May 2025, the cyber security supply chain charter is designed to support suppliers and their customers in reducing the likelihood and impact of a cyber incident. The eight statements contained within the charter are fundamental security measures that should be reasonably expected from suppliers to help secure their organisation.

In September 2024, the National Cyber Security Centre’s Cyber Assessment Framework was implemented into the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) for large National Health Service organisations. This enables them to understand and manage their own cyber and information governance risks, while maintaining the high standards necessary to protect patients. Over 56,000 organisations completed a DSPT assessment for 2023/24. As of July 2024, 82% of NHS trusts, or 172 trusts, had met or exceeded the standard.

72% of adult social care providers are now compliant with the DSPT, and the Government funded Better Security, Better Care programme continues to support care providers to prioritise safety and security when handling the data of those drawing on care.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s upcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will help us address the evolving cyber threat to our supply chain. It will strengthen our defences and ensure that essential healthcare services are better protected.

Through the Cyber Operations division in NHS England, we are able to respond to the ever-changing threat landscape and monitor security threats to IT systems and networks. Cyber Operations provide a range of specialist services that help NHS organisations manage cyber risk, and these are delivered through a range of centrally funded products and services.

We work to ensure that patient data and information is stored in systems that are safe and secure. We do this by providing services, guidance, and support to health and care organisations.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the responsible use of artificial intelligence in the production of official statistics.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

Please see the letter attached from the Permanent Secretary for the Office for National Statistics.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the adoption of artificial intelligence systems that can assist in the early detection of heart disease across the NHS.

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

The Government is exploring the role and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in the earlier detection and diagnosis in a range of clinical specialties, including cardiovascular disease. This includes the safe and effective adoption of AI tools such as AI-assisted echocardiography, automated electrocardiogram interpretation, and digital stethoscope recordings through robust regulatory and assurance processes.

NHS England’s physiological sciences strategic framework clearly positions AI as a key enabler of community-based diagnostics, supporting faster and more standardised analysis of electrocardiograms and imaging tests.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the adoption across the NHS of artificial intelligence systems that can assist surgeons in planning and delivering precision surgery.

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

Our 10-Year Health Plan commits to expanding robotic assisted surgery (RAS) adoption over the next decade. In 2025, NHS England published the first national guidance for the implementation of RAS in the National Health Service, offering guidance on procurement, commissioning, implementation, training, and evaluation.

A national steering committee, with representation from across the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Office for Life Sciences, the NHS Supply Chain, the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, and clinical leads from a range of NHS provider trusts, is in place to support the RAS programme to deliver Government commitments. This committee also looks at innovation in robotic assisted surgery, including artificial intelligence.

The programme team engages regularly with suppliers of surgical robotic platforms to ensure adoption is aligned with the latest technological developments in RAS.

Decisions to offer RAS are agreed at an integrated care board and trust level, in line with local population need.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to enable UK technology start-ups to compete more effectively for public sector procurement contracts.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government is committed to supporting start-ups, and small and medium-sized enterprises to compete for public contracts.

Recent changes to streamline and simplify the Social Value model, which include raising the threshold at which it applies to £1m, will directly benefit SMEs and start-ups wishing to bid for government contracts.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase UK manufacturing capacity for the hardware required for artificial intelligence, robotics, and quantum technologies.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is backing UK manufacturing capacity across these frontier technologies. Our £1.1 billion AI Hardware Plan will back British chip firms, support the scaling of hardware technologies in the UK, boost computing power and build the skills needed for long-term growth. We are backing advanced manufacturing with up to £4.3 billion over five years, including £38 million of grants to set up Robotics Adoption Hubs. For quantum technologies, we have committed up to £2 billion, including £140 million in infrastructure such as open-access pilot lines and cryogenics research and development.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support universities and employers to expand access to work experience for undergraduate students.

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

Economic growth is the central mission of the government and is vital to give the next generation the opportunities to thrive.

Higher education providers are autonomous institutions and are responsible for designing and delivering their own courses. This includes decisions on whether to offer internships, work placements or industrial secondments.

The department encourages universities to work with businesses to develop and manage these opportunities in ways that best meet the needs of their students, employers and academic staff.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that increasingly capable frontier artificial intelligence models are subject to independent safety evaluation before deployment.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The UK's AI Security Institute (AISI) has built trusted, voluntary relationships with the world's leading AI labs. This collaborative approach lets us keep pace with a fast-moving technology and adapt as it evolves, and has allowed AISI to secure privileged access that has identified dozens of vulnerabilities that developers fixed before public release. AISI is in daily conversation with industry partners and works closely with allies and partners around the world on the risks posed by increasingly capable AI systems.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote greater professional responsibility among those developing artificial intelligence systems capable of operating with increasing autonomy.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government takes these risks extremely seriously. It is a good thing that the companies developing the most advanced AI systems are now talking openly about the risks as well as the opportunities. The UK’s AI Security Institute is in daily conversation with industry partners on AI security and is working closely with allies and partners around the world on the risks posed by increasingly capable AI systems. Further detail is provided in Written Statement UIN HCWS314 'Artificial intelligence update'.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the AI Security Institute has access to frontier artificial intelligence models for pre-release safety testing.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The UK's AI Security Institute (AISI) has built trusted, voluntary relationships with the world's leading AI labs. This collaboration lets us keep pace with a fast-moving technology and adapt as it evolves, and has allowed AISI to secure privileged access that has identified dozens of vulnerabilities that developers fixed before public release. AISI is in daily conversation with industry partners and works closely with allies and partners around the world on the risks posed by increasingly capable AI systems.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the use of artificial intelligence in education does not undermine the reliability of assessments of students’ individual work.

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

The government is clear that AI should support teaching and learning while ensuring that assessments continue to reflect students’ own knowledge, skills and understanding.

​The department has published support materials to help schools and colleges use AI safely and effectively, including guidance for leaders and educators on the risks and opportunities associated with AI.

The vast majority of GCSE and A level assessments are taken under close supervision, without access to the internet or AI tools.

Ofqual, as the independent regulator, has published its approach to regulating the use of AI in qualifications and assessments, focused on maintaining fairness, validity, security and public confidence, and this is available on the Ofqual website.

The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) guidance is also clear that work submitted for assessment must be a student's own, and that misuse of AI may constitute malpractice. This guidance is available on the JCQ website.

Education should prepare young people to thrive in a world shaped by AI, but the value of their achievements must remain beyond doubt.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to equip young people with the skills needed to adapt to changes in the labour market arising from artificial intelligence.

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

Artificial intelligence (AI) is creating new opportunities, while also changing how young people enter work and develop their careers.

The department is equipping young people with the knowledge and skills for a changing labour market, including through reforms to the curriculum and post-16 qualifications. This includes a greater emphasis on oracy, stronger digital and media literacy, and clearer pathways into further study, training and high-quality careers. We have also announced plans for new high-quality Vocational GCSEs for 14 to 16-year-olds, supporting progression into A levels, T Levels, V levels, apprenticeships and other post-16 routes and helping ensure students have the skills for the jobs of the future. V levels and T Levels have employer-informed content and can respond to technological and labour-market change, including AI.

The Early Careers Jobs Alliance brings together government, employers, trade unions and young people to outline how entry-level work is changing and produce practical support for businesses’ entry level pathways. Skills England is working with employers and providers to identify future skills needs, while the AI Economics Institute is improving understanding of AI’s impact on jobs and skills needs.

The government is also supporting young people to develop AI and technology skills directly, including through TechFirst, our flagship programme to expand pathways into the tech sector. In addition, more than £6 billion of recent AI investment is expected to create around 8,000 UK jobs, giving young people opportunities to apply and develop these skills.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to strengthen the resilience of the UK financial system to cyberattacks enabled by increasingly capable artificial intelligence systems.

Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government recognises that increasingly capable artificial intelligence systems present both opportunities and risks for the financial sector. As noted in July’s Financial Stability Report, rapid progress in frontier AI capabilities presents a significant increase in the risks to financial stability from cyber and operational vulnerabilities.

HM Treasury works closely with the financial regulators, the National Cyber Security Centre and industry to strengthen the resilience of the UK financial system in the face of evolving cyber threats, including those enabled by AI. The authorities continue to work with firms through established resilience frameworks and industry bodies, including the Cross Market Operational Resilience Group (CMORG), which issued guidance for firms in June to help them assess their current capabilities and accelerate their response.

Frontier AI also has the potential to strengthen the financial sector’s cyber defences. To help firms share best practices on this front, the Bank of England has established a forum for systemically important UK financial institutions and Financial Market Infrastructure to share their experiences on the use of frontier AI for cyber defence.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the use of AI-enabled facial recognition CCTV by local authorities is subject to appropriate safeguards for privacy, data protection, and transparency.

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

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that facial recognition technology is used with appropriate safeguards. There is an established legal framework governing the use of the technology, including compliance with data protection, equality and human rights legislation.

Local authorities considering the use of the technology must ensure that its use is lawful, necessary and proportionate, and complies with applicable legal requirements.

Local authorities must also have regard to the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, which sets out guiding principles for the appropriate, transparent and effective use of surveillance camera systems. The Code, which is overseen by the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner, promotes accountability, transparency, effective governance and public confidence.

More broadly, the Government has consulted on a new framework for law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies. The Police Reform Bill will include clearer rules and safeguards, and a single expert body to provide independent advice and oversight.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address barriers faced by UK crypto asset firms in accessing banking services to support growth and competitiveness in the digital assets sector.

Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is aware that cryptoasset firms are facing challenges associated with access to banking services, and is engaged with the sector on these matters.

Whilst the Government recognises that decisions around the provision of banking services are largely commercial in nature, we also expect businesses to be treated fairly. That is why the Government has taken action in this space, including legislating to enhance relevant protections in cases where a business has their bank account terminated by their provider.

The Government has also legislated to create a financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets in the UK. Under this regime, firms will need to be licensed by the Financial Conduct Authority to provide relevant cryptoasset services, and the Government would not expect such licensed firms to be subject to restrictions by banking services providers simply because of the sector they belong to.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that UK financial services firms have sufficient cyber security and engineering capacity to address vulnerabilities identified by increasingly capable artificial intelligence systems.

Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government recognises that increasingly capable artificial intelligence systems present both opportunities and risks for the financial sector.

As noted in July’s Financial Stability Report, frontier AI may materially increase the flow of vulnerabilities requiring assessment and remediation by firms, which could itself become a source of systemic risk, even if cyber-attacks were not to increase. A materially higher volume of identified vulnerabilities would require firms and suppliers to patch and validate changes at much greater speed and frequency, increasing the risk of errors, outages, and disruption across interconnected systems.

In May 2026 the National Cyber Security Centre issued guidance to firms encouraging them to prepare for a wave of software updates that will need to be applied across the technology stack to address the disclosure of new vulnerabilities.

The UK financial authorities have made clear that firms should maintain effective protective, detective, threat containment and cyber response capabilities, and should be able to identify, assess and remediate vulnerabilities more quickly and at greater scale as AI capabilities develop. Firms are responsible for ensuring they have the skills, expertise and resources necessary to manage risks appropriately, including cyber security and engineering capacity.

The Government supports this through technical advice and guidance from the NCSC and ongoing engagement with industry and regulators, including through the Cross Market Operational Resilience Group (CMORG).

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that local authorities using artificial intelligence to assess adult social care needs retain appropriate human oversight and safeguards for vulnerable people.

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

The National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare was established to bring together independent expertise and evidence to inform the Government’s development of a 'future ready’ regulatory framework for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare.

Through its work, The National Commission has recommended that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) move to a more proportionate, lifecycle-based approach to regulation of AI products. This includes ensuring regulatory decisions are based on the risks and benefits of the specific device and introducing more ongoing, responsive post-market surveillance expectations and approaches, which will enable regulators to better detect and understand changes in safety and performance across the product lifecycle. The Commission also made a series of recommendations to further support clinical safety and governance, including requiring manufacturers to define the operational conditions needed for safe deployment of AI technologies, supporting providers to demonstrate the ‘AI readiness’ needed for safe deployment, and coordinated training of professionals to enable safe use. More information can be found in The National Commission’s recommendations report, a copy of which is attached. The Government will formally respond to those recommendations in the normal way in due course.

If an AI system providing real-time guidance during surgery meets the definition of a medical device, then the device would be required to comply with existing medical device regulations, including for safety and performance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that artificial intelligence tools used in healthcare are subject to appropriate approval and continuous monitoring of safety and performance after deployment.

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

The National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare was established to bring together independent expertise and evidence to inform the Government’s development of a 'future ready’ regulatory framework for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare.

Through its work, The National Commission has recommended that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) move to a more proportionate, lifecycle-based approach to regulation of AI products. This includes ensuring regulatory decisions are based on the risks and benefits of the specific device and introducing more ongoing, responsive post-market surveillance expectations and approaches, which will enable regulators to better detect and understand changes in safety and performance across the product lifecycle. The Commission also made a series of recommendations to further support clinical safety and governance, including requiring manufacturers to define the operational conditions needed for safe deployment of AI technologies, supporting providers to demonstrate the ‘AI readiness’ needed for safe deployment, and coordinated training of professionals to enable safe use. More information can be found in The National Commission’s recommendations report, a copy of which is attached. The Government will formally respond to those recommendations in the normal way in due course.

If an AI system providing real-time guidance during surgery meets the definition of a medical device, then the device would be required to comply with existing medical device regulations, including for safety and performance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that artificial intelligence systems used to provide real-time guidance during surgery are subject to appropriate clinical safety and governance standards.

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

The National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare was established to bring together independent expertise and evidence to inform the Government’s development of a 'future ready’ regulatory framework for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare.

Through its work, The National Commission has recommended that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) move to a more proportionate, lifecycle-based approach to regulation of AI products. This includes ensuring regulatory decisions are based on the risks and benefits of the specific device and introducing more ongoing, responsive post-market surveillance expectations and approaches, which will enable regulators to better detect and understand changes in safety and performance across the product lifecycle. The Commission also made a series of recommendations to further support clinical safety and governance, including requiring manufacturers to define the operational conditions needed for safe deployment of AI technologies, supporting providers to demonstrate the ‘AI readiness’ needed for safe deployment, and coordinated training of professionals to enable safe use. More information can be found in The National Commission’s recommendations report, a copy of which is attached. The Government will formally respond to those recommendations in the normal way in due course.

If an AI system providing real-time guidance during surgery meets the definition of a medical device, then the device would be required to comply with existing medical device regulations, including for safety and performance.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the growth of UK semiconductor companies developing hardware-based cyber security technologies and the creation of high-skilled engineering jobs.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is supporting the growth of the UK semiconductor sector, including the development of hardware-based cyber security technologies, through support across innovation, skills, procurement and investment. The £1.1 billion AI Hardware Plan includes an £18 million Hardware Security R&D Programme to strengthen the secure deployment and scaling of AI hardware. The Government is also supporting UK strengths in secure-by-design technologies, including the commercialisation of CHERI. Alongside this, the Government is investing £80 million in semiconductor and AI hardware skills, expanding training and career pathways to help build the pipeline of engineers and researchers needed for companies to develop these technologies.

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