ARIA: Scoping Our Planet Programme

Lord Watts Excerpts

Tuesday 8th July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Vallance of Balham (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord for his comments. I agree that ARIA has got off to a tremendous start under the leadership of Ilan Gur, who will leave his role when a new CEO is appointed—he will stay up until that point. ARIA has done a number of things, including training a whole group of people who otherwise would not be entrepreneurial scientists to be entrepreneurial scientists. Eight new start-ups have occurred as a result of this, and seven UK subsidiaries of global companies have come to the UK. The projects are all at an early stage, but there are some very exciting pieces of work that are now recognised and admired globally.

[Lord Watts (Lab)]

My Lords, have the Government looked at the implications of AI for the Freedom of Information Act? Someone could quite possibly generate 100,000 questions in about half an hour, which will put pressure on the public sector.

[Lord Vallance of Balham (Lab)]

I have not looked at that specific point, but I accept that that is indeed a possibility. The Freedom of Information Act has an enormous number of important roles, but it can be overwhelming. That is another reason why a very small organisation such as ARIA, which is focused on getting its work out while being very transparent about what it is doing, is freed from some of the requirements of that Act, which can place a very large administrative burden on a small organisation.

AI: Cross-sector Legislation

Lord Watts Excerpts

Tuesday 29th April 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Vallance of Balham (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord for his question and enjoyed reading his report very much. There are three ways in which this cross-government AI approach will be looked at. First, as I say, the existing regulators will regulate their own areas. They will also be brought together more. The digital forum already brings together regulators around AI and has been given more money to ensure that the regulators can join up on this. Secondly, the development of assurance tools, which has been outlined in the AI Opportunities Action Plan, will allow us to understand that the actual use of AI is using tools that are validated. There will be a market in making sure that the validation system grows and becomes an important way of assuring users. Thirdly, the consultation around the newer models —advanced general intelligence and superintelligence, as it arrives—will require a cross-cutting general piece of work, which is where the consultation starts later this year.

[Lord Watts (Lab)]

My Lords, is it not the case that there has to be balance between AI and big tech and the creative industries? Do we not need to make sure that one of our major industries, the creative industries, are protected by any changes in the legislation?

[Lord Vallance of Balham (Lab)]

I am sure that the noble Lord is aware that the creative industries are some of the greatest users of AI. Of course, it is important that creativity is protected. That is why a consultation has been put out around the copyright issue, which has been discussed many times in this Chamber. In all walks of life, it is important that we understand what AI brings and where it must be controlled in order to allow other things to happen. That is true not only in the creative industries but in many other areas.

Artificial Intelligence: Regulation

Lord Watts Excerpts

Monday 10th February 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Vallance of Balham (Lab)]

As I think I have made clear on several occasions at this Dispatch Box, we do not support that position. We believe that there needs to be control for creators; we need much better transparency in the system, and there needs to be access to use those images for AI. Those three things go hand in hand.

[Lord Watts (Lab)]

My Lords, the creative industries are the second-most important industry in the UK. Will the Minister guarantee that under the legislation creators’ work will be protected and they will be properly rewarded for the work that they do?

[Lord Vallance of Balham (Lab)]

We absolutely agree that creators need to be appropriately recognised and rewarded. That is why the system being developed will give greater transparency on what is being used for what purposes and will allow access while also protecting the rights of creators. It is important to have a technological solution to allow this and to prevent access where creators did not want it to occur.

Research, Development and Innovation Organisational Landscape Report

Lord Watts Excerpts

Monday 20th November 2023 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Camrose (Con)]

Yes, indeed: these are very important principles to allow research institutions, whether publicly or privately funded, autonomy in the research they undertake. As well as the Nurse review, the Tickell review into bureaucracy in the R&D landscape addresses these things and we will also shortly be publishing our response to the latter review.

[Lord Watts (Lab)]

My Lords, is there evidence that the successive cuts in business taxes have led to increases in investment and research in the UK?

[Viscount Camrose (Con)]

If there any such evidence, I am afraid I am not familiar with it.

Animal Torture: Online Videos

Lord Watts Excerpts

Tuesday 27th June 2023 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Camrose (Con)]

I recognise the argument that increased cruelty to animals promotes further bad behaviour, including violence between humans, but I stress the point that the purpose of the Online Safety Bill is to bring into law a range of limitations on what can be published and what can be seen online by human beings. There are laws that effectively criminalise cruel behaviour to animals and the action of publishing evidence of cruelty to animals online; those laws just happen not to be the Online Safety Bill.

[Lord Watts (Lab)]

My Lords, the Minister says that the Government are against cruelty to animals, yet we have just heard that the present legislation does not stop it. Is it not the case that we need regulation that will prosecute and convict people involved in these practices? Can he tell us how many people have been prosecuted so far this year for animal cruelty?

[Viscount Camrose (Con)]

I have the numbers prosecuted for animal cruelty in my notes somewhere; I will happily write to the noble Lord.