Asked by: Allison Gardner (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Artificial Intelligence applications used across the public sector are subject to ongoing assurance, auditing and governance.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
The government is committed to ensuring the ethical, safe and responsible adoption of AI to improve public service outcomes and boost public sector productivity. Seizing this opportunity requires strengthening public trust.
That is why we are implementing a mandatory rollout of the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard across government departments and arm’s length bodies.
Alongside this, the Department for Business, Innovation, Science & Trade is taking steps to strengthen the UK’s AI assurance ecosystem, as set out in the Trusted Third-Party AI Assurance Roadmap.
Asked by: Allison Gardner (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to implement a cross-government Artificial Intelligence Assurance strategy.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
AI assurance helps to build justified trust and confidence in AI systems, support responsible AI adoption, and drive economic growth.
That is why the Department for Business, Innovation, Science & Trade is taking action to implement the Government’s AI assurance strategy, as set out in the Roadmap to Trusted Third-Party AI Assurance (2025). This includes establishing the Centre for AI Measurement, led by the National Physical Laboratory to develop the technical and scientific foundations of AI assurance and deliver the AI Assurance Innovation Fund. We are also convening a multi-stakeholder consortium, led by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, to support the development of a recognised AI assurance profession.
Asked by: Allison Gardner (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of further restricting the (a) use and (b) sale of fireworks on animal welfare and wildlife.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Most people use fireworks in a responsible, safe, and appropriate manner and there are laws in place to address situations where fireworks are misused. The current regulatory framework is designed to support people to enjoy fireworks whilst lowering the risk of dangers and disruption to people, pets, and property.
No assessment has been made of the potential impact of further restricting a) use and b) sale of fireworks on animal welfare and wildlife. To inform any future decisions the Government intends to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues and impacts of fireworks.