Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the draft prostate cancer screening recommendation by the UK National Screening Committee.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We welcome the UK National Screening Committee’s (UK NSC) consideration of the evidence and robust consultation process on both the evidence and its draft recommendation. We are examining the evidence and arguments and will bring together those with differing views.
On 28 November 2025, the UK NSC opened a 12-week public consultation on a draft recommendation to:
After the consultation closes, in early 2026, the UK NSC will make a final recommendation on screening for prostate cancer. After receiving the final recommendation, ministers will consider whether to accept this and the next steps.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support UK universities and employers in maximising the benefits of the UK's return to the Erasmus+ student exchange programme, particularly in relation to skills and labour mobility.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
A National Agency will be appointed in due course to deliver Erasmus+ for the UK.
A website with further information will be launched by the UK’s National Agency in summer 2026. Guidance on how to apply for Erasmus+ will be available on GOV.UK, and subsequently the National Agency’s website in summer 2026.
The department will work closely with institutions and our young people to maximise take-up, particularly among disadvantaged groups, and provide certainty on complementary UK schemes so providers can plan confidently and deliver at pace.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure AI-based systems used by public authorities comply with legal standards and protect citizens' rights.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government is committed to ensuring that the adoption of artificial intelligence across the public sector is safe, effective, efficient and ethical. This work is guided by the AI Opportunities Action Plan and the AI Playbook for Government, which provide departments and public sector organisations with accessible technical guidance on the responsible use of AI.
The AI Playbook includes ethical and legal guidance for all civil servants on how to use AI safely and responsibly. This covers data protection, privacy, cybersecurity and sustainability, alongside the principles set out in the government’s pro-innovation approach to AI regulation. Departments are required to follow existing civil service-wide standards and policies, such as the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard, to ensure compliance and maintain accountability when deploying AI systems.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the scale and impact of AI-generated political misinformation on online platforms; and what steps they are taking to safeguard democratic processes.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government takes the security and integrity of our democratic processes very seriously, including the risks posed by AI-generated content. While recent UK elections did not see the scale and sophistication of AI anticipated, this remains an important issue.
The Online Safety Act requires in-scope services to mitigate risks from illegal disinformation, including AI-generated content, relevant to elections (e.g. false communications). Media literacy is also part of our wider approach, building public resilience to mis- and disinformation.
The department also engages through the government’s Defending Democracy Taskforce, which is committed to safeguarding the UK from the full range of threats to democracy, including those from AI.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reported suspension of the US-UK Technology Prosperity Deal; and what impact this has on US-UK collaboration on artificial intelligence and advanced technologies.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The United States is our close ally and tech partner, and we are committed to ensuring that bond delivers real benefits for hardworking people on both sides of the Atlantic.
We look forward to resuming work on this partnership with the US as quickly as we can to achieve that and working together to help shape the emerging technologies of the future.
Most recently, we were pleased to announce advances in how we share cutting edge UK and US quantum research as well as TAE Technologies and the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s joint venture partnership to commercialise fusion technology in the UK.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Information Commissioner's Office's decision to issue a reprimand rather than a fine to the Post Office following the disclosure of the personal information of postmasters involved in the Horizon IT scandal.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Post Office has rightly apologised for the data breach to which the noble Lord refers, which added to the injustice which this group of postmasters had already experienced. I understand that the Post Office has paid compensation for the breach. It is for the Information Commissioner, as an independent regulator, to decide what penalties are appropriate.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of artificial intelligence tools within the courts of England and Wales, and what guidance or safeguards are in place to ensure judicial independence, accuracy and transparency.
Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The independent judiciary have their own procedures and policies. Guidance for judicial office holders on the appropriate and responsible use of AI has been issued by the judiciary and is publicly available on the judiciary’s website.
The judiciary’s approach to AI is designed to ensure that any use of AI by judicial office holders is safe, transparent, and consistent with the principles of fairness and non-discrimination, while preserving judicial independence.
HM Courts & Tribunals Service has developed its own Responsible AI Principles to provide guardrails for the development, delivery and maintenance of AI systems to ensure use of AI in the courts and tribunals is appropriate, safe and controlled.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure robust governance, safety evaluation and transparency in their announced partnership with Google DeepMind, including the planned automated science laboratory and access to its AI models for public services.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The non‑binding Memorandum of Understanding between DSIT and Google DeepMind establishes a partnership for collaboration to support delivery on this government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan. This includes concrete initiatives such as priority access for UK scientists to AI tools; deepening collaboration with the AI Security Institute on AI safety and security research; and support for the development of AI-ready datasets in strategically important domains such as fusion energy.
The automated lab announced alongside the MoU is an independent Google DeepMind initiative, fully funded by Google DeepMind. The UK Government is not involved in operating or funding the lab.
The partnership with Google DeepMind will support DSIT’s efforts to explore how AI can improve productivity and service delivery across government. However, any use of AI in public services will be subject to the highest standards of safety and security, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR, the Government’s Data Ethics Framework, and relevant departmental assurance and security processes.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk that the use of AI tools by employers to research job candidates may introduce misinformation and increase the likelihood of unlawful discrimination in recruitment.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to ensuring the trusted and fair use of AI.
Through the AI Opportunities Action Plan, we committed to taking steps to drive responsible adoption of AI across sectors. This includes establishing the AI Assurance Innovation Fund. We are investing £11 million in the fund and convening a national consortium of expert stakeholders to support the quality and growth of the AI assurance market.
The Government has also published guidance on Responsible AI in Recruitment. This focuses on good practice for the procurement and deployment of AI systems for HR and recruitment. It identifies key questions, considerations, and assurance mechanisms that may be used to ensure the safe and trustworthy use of AI in recruitment.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that any use of live facial recognition cameras by law enforcement bodies is subject to clear safeguards to protect privacy and human rights.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
When deploying facial recognition technology, police forces must comply with existing legislation including the Human Rights Act 1998, Equality Act 2010, Data Protection Act 2018, Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, as well as their own published policies. For live facial recognition, police forces must also follow the College of Policing’s Authorised Professional Practice (APP) on Live Facial Recognition. Forces must also give due regard to the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, which is supplemented by published policing policies.
On 4 December the Government launched a 10 week public consultation on law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies. We are consulting on a new legal framework to create consistent, durable rules and appropriate safeguards for biometrics and facial recognition. This framework will aim to strike the right balance between public protection and privacy. The consultation will close week commencing 9 Feb 2026.