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 Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that a third of UK citizens have used AI chatbots for emotional support or social interaction and the implications for safeguarding and mental health policy frameworks.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No such assessment has been made. We recognise that people are facing unacceptably long waiting times to access mental health support. This is why we are transforming the current mental health system so people can access the right support, at the right time, in the right place.
Building on the 10-Year Health Plan, the NHS Medium Term Planning Framework, published on 24 October 2025, sets targets for integrated care boards in 2026/27 to improve quality and access to mental health services. This includes expanding NHS Talking Therapies and expanding coverage of mental health support teams in schools and colleges.
This builds on the significant progress we’ve made since July 2024 to hire almost 7,000 extra mental health workers. And by spring next year, over 900,000 children and young people will have access to a Mental Health Support team in schools and colleagues.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they intend to ensure consumer protection and regulatory compliance in blockchain and AI-enabled tokenised deposit models in the home-buying and mortgage markets.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Financial Conduct Authority is responsible for the regulation of the mortgage market. All FCA-authorised firms are required to comply with the Consumer Duty, which sets high standards of consumer protections and requires firms to put their customers’ needs first.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is currently consulting on reforms to the home buying and selling process. The Government has made clear its objectives that reform should support faster, more reliable transactions and reduced fall throughs and risks.
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 pressures facing the NHS from a surge in flu cases and staff shortages this winter, in the context of maintaining safe patient care standards.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is clear that patients should expect and receive the highest standard of care throughout the year, including during the busy winter period.
We started earlier and have done more than ever to prepare for winter this year. We continue to monitor the impact of winter pressures on the National Health Service over the winter months, providing additional support to services across the country as needed.
Flu is a recurring pressure that the NHS faces every winter. There is particular risk of severe illness for older people, the very young, pregnant people, and those with certain underlying health conditions. The flu vaccine remains the best form of defense against influenza, particularly for the most vulnerable, and continues to be highly effective at preventing severe disease and hospitalisation.
Decisions about recruitment and resourcing are a matter for individual NHS employers, who manage this at a local level to ensure they have the staff they need to deliver safe and effective care.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on household energy bills of the £28 billion electricity and gas infrastructure investment approved by Ofgem over the next five years.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem, the regulator, sets funding and investment allowances for gas and electricity transmission and gas distribution networks through its price control process. As confirmed in their Final Determinations for RIIO-3, covering 2026-2031, there will be an estimated net increase in bills by 2031 of around £30 a year, or less than £3 per month, though these are costs expected to decline further over time. This investment is essential to maintain a safe, reliable network, that provides energy security, whilst we move to a cleaner, and ultimately more affordable, energy system.
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.
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 impact of tax and regulatory changes for businesses on employment levels.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Delivering on our plan to Make Work Pay is a core part of the mission to grow the economy, raise living standards and create opportunities for all. We are committed to working in partnership with businesses to realise that ambition, enabling businesses and workers to thrive.
My department has published a set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill. This analysis is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments
The OBR judged that none of the tax measures in this Budget will have a material impact to justify adjusting their employment forecast and have not yet made a judgement on the Employment Rights Bill given ongoing policy development.
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 copyright and transparency implications of major booksellers selling fiction generated by artificial intelligence systems.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
It is a matter for individual booksellers how they source books. However, the Government recognises the importance of clarity for right holders and consumers in understanding the origin of AI generated content.
We are currently preparing a report on copyright and artificial intelligence, for publication next year. This report will take into account a range of views and evidence.