Chi Onwurah

The House Authorities, in conjunction with the House of Lords administration and Parliamentary Digital Service, have been actively exploring the potential for AI, and other new technologies, to support the work of Members. A recent example includes the creation of the online portal for the registration of MPs’ financial interests released in spring 2024.

PDS is undertaking a cost-benefit analysis of Microsoft’s Co-Pilot AI tool, which includes AI for mailboxes. This could aid Members and staff in their management of day-to-day administrative activities and involves learning from Government departments which are testing its use. Before a pilot of Co-Pilot could happen within Parliament, there are important information rights protections to put in place to make sure that sensitive information is handled appropriately. Steps to put those protections in place are taking place in coming months.

Parliament’s Information and Digital Strategy sets out both an ambition to ensure that the Houses are exploring the opportunities and risks of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and to be more focused on meeting the needs of Members in the delivery of digital services.

To support these ambitions, an AI Working Group has been convened with representatives of departments across both Houses coordinating and considering how best to enable the use of generative AI. A Digital Innovation Lab has been established to provide a safe testing ground for the use of AI and other emerging technologies, and initial proofs of concepts are being developed for the use of AI to support the work of Hansard and the Table Office. House staff and PDS are working closely with Government departments to understand their use of AI (in particular the development of the Redbox tool which can summarise documents and briefings, and whether there is potential application in Parliament).

To support Members specifically, guidance is being prepared on the safe use of AI in relation to Parliamentary duties. AI learning materials are also being curated, as well as opportunities to learn more through seminar-style events. Both the guidance and learning should become available over the autumn.

The Civil Service is committed to establishing a strong presence in regions and nations across the United Kingdom, including in cities such as Newcastle upon Tyne. The Civil Service should be connected to and representative of the communities it serves as well as delivering a high quality of service for citizens across the whole of the UK. Further plans will be set out in due course, aligned with the upcoming Spending Review.

Economic growth is the first priority of this government. To deliver on this, one of our first steps after taking office was to announce that we were resuming Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with: the Gulf Cooperation Council, India, Israel, South Korea, Switzerland, and Turkey.

Having carefully reviewed our negotiation objectives we have now started talks with some of these key partners. We will not sacrifice quality for speed and will only agree deals that are mutually beneficial.

Depending on the capacity they require, large energy users can connect to either the low-voltage distribution network or the high-voltage transmission network. The networks are owned by private companies that are solely responsible for ensuring the delivery of connections and regulated independently by Ofgem. The distribution network is owned and operated by six Distribution Network Operators across Great Britain. The transmission network is owned by three Transmission Owners and operated by the National Energy System Operator.

Ministers have discussed with Ofgem the need to drive higher standards of service for energy customers.

Ofgem requires suppliers to ensure that payments are set to avoid building up excessive credit balances, including taking regular meter readings. Excess credit balances should be refunded promptly, upon request.

Direct debit payments are designed to be flat across the year, meaning that energy accounts tend to build up a credit balance over the summer, when energy use low, with the reverse occurring over the winter months.

The Shared Rural Network (SRN) has already delivered substantial improvements to outdoor 4G mobile coverage across the UK. 4G coverage from at least one mobile network operator has increased from 91% when the programme was agreed in March 2020 to 94.9% according to Ofcom coverage reporting. This progress includes upgrading and activating Emergency Services Network (ESN) masts which are delivering new 4G coverage in the harder to reach areas across Britain and building new masts in areas that currently have no signal at all to having coverage from all four mobile network operators.

Ofcom recently assessed that all four mobile network operators had met their 88% coverage obligation for completion of the partial not-spot programme. This part of the SRN targets areas where there is currently coverage from at least one but not all four mobile network operators.

AI assurance supports organisations to demonstrate their compliance with existing – and future – standards and regulations. To complement the existing focus on proportionate, sector-specific regulation, the UK Government remains focused on its intention to introduce binding requirements on the handful of companies developing the most powerful AI systems, as announced in the King’s Speech. These proposals will build on the voluntary commitments already secured at the Seoul and Bletchley AI Safety Summits and build on the government’s ongoing commitment to ensure that the UK’s regulators have the expertise and resources to effectively regulate AI in each of their respective domains.

We know that Government procurement is a powerful lever to drive innovation, giving businesses confidence to invest in and shape markets by signalling Government needs and intent, and this is no different with AI assurance. By embedding them in public sector procurement, Government can likely drive demand for proven AI assurance practices and support improvements in the quality of the AI supply chain. We are continuing to assess this potential, and last week we launched a public consultation on our AI Management Essentials tool, with questions as to the potential market effects of including these practices in Government procurement processes.

a) Cyber Essentials certificates awarded to small and medium sized businesses:

i. November 2023 to October 2024: 41,162, including 9,680 Cyber Essentials Plus certificates.

ii. November 2022 to October 2023: 26,674, including 7,966 Cyber Essentials Plus certificates.

iii. November 2021 to October 2022: 20,773, including 4,938 Cyber Essentials Plus certificates.

iv. November 2020 to October 2021: 18,136, including 3,694 Cyber Essentials Plus certificates.

b) From 1 May 2020 to 31 October 2024 (the period for which IASME Consortium have been government’s sole delivery partner for Cyber Essentials), 131,339 Cyber Essentials certificates have been awarded to small and medium businesses. This includes 27,217 Cyber Essentials Plus certificates.

This public R&D regional investment target is set out in the statement of missions laid in relation to the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023.

Increasing productivity right across the UK is fundamental to our mission to kickstart economic growth. Through our Industrial Strategy and the development of Local Growth Plans, we will build on local strengths to ensure that public and private R&D investment right across the UK helps local places to reach their potential.

Although my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, did not announce new funding for the higher education (HE) sector, we have since announced measures across fees, maintenance and wider HE reform to address financial pressures faced by the sector, increase support for students, strengthen efforts to improve access and outcomes for disadvantaged students and enable flexibility to be at the core of our HE system.

The department is aware that HE providers will have to pay increased national insurance contributions. As my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer set out in the Budget, raising the revenue required to fund public services and restore economic stability requires difficult decisions which is why the government has asked employers to contribute more.

The tuition fee limit increase represents an increased investment from students for the sector and will support HE providers in managing the financial challenges they are facing.

The department will explore how best it can continue to improve access to HE, thus widening opportunity for our students and learners, while driving the HE system to play a bigger role in our ambitions for national growth.

The Office of Rail and Road publishes complaints data on a quarterly basis for all rail operators. London North Eastern Railway also undertakes its own research to understand and respond to passenger needs. The latest Office of Rail and Road passenger complaints data is available on its website at the following link:

https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/passenger-experience/passenger-rail-service-complaints

The Department is working closely with London North Eastern Railway (LNER) to ensure all aspects of onboard experience, including WiFi, meet customers’ expectations.

LNER reports on customer satisfaction to the Department every rail period and their most recent report indicates that Wifi is not a significant cause of customer dissatisfaction.

We remain open to new innovations which improve the provision of onboard Wi-Fi and LNER and NR are leading a project to improve Wi-Fi connectivity on the approach to Kings Cross.

The six new stations on the Northumberland Line are being constructed in accordance with the appropriate accessibility standards and will need to demonstrate compliance as part of their acceptance into service. The rolling stock will be in compliance with the appropriate accessibility standards.

The £20.4bn referenced on page 65 of the Budget document refers to all departmental research and development budgets for 2025/2026.

This includes a research and development allocation for the Department for Business and Trade for 2025/2026 of £329m. This includes part of the over £2bn for the automotive sector and £975m for the aerospace sector announced over the next 5 years to 2029/2030 at Budget. The £520m announced for life sciences is not included in the overall figure as it is not research and development.

The overall allocations for the automotive and aerospace sectors in the Budget are multi-year commitments, with detail to be agreed through the second phase of the Spending Review. This multi-year allocation includes R&D and Capital funding.

The departmental research and development (R&D) allocations for 2024-25 are set out in the table below. The numbers represent departmental plans as of Autumn Budget 2024, which reflect underspends identified through the Public Spending Audit 2024-25, including as a result of lower Horizon association costs than previously budgeted for.

In 2025-26, the government has allocated £20.4 billion for investment in R&D – more than ever before which reflects its focus on growth. This includes the protection of £6.1 billion for core research.

*rounded to nearest £100m

**rounded to nearest £10m

Individual departments have been rounded to reflect the possibility that allocations can change as a result of in-year inter-department budget transfers.

This government is committed to delivering a modern Industrial Strategy. The Budget took a first step towards supporting our growth driving sectors, by providing funding in 2025-26 for life sciences manufacturing, allocated to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and to automotive and aerospace manufacturing, allocated to the Department for Business and Trade.

The Budget also confirmed long-term funding for these sectors - £975m for aerospace, over £2bn for automotive, and up to £520m for life sciences supporting the development of new technology, further details of this funding will be set out through the Spending Review and publication of the full Industrial Strategy in Spring 2025.

To fully harness the potential of the UK's excellent science base and to foster a dynamic investment economy, the Budget protects record levels of government research and development (R&D) investment with £20.4 billion allocated in 2025-26. This is allocated as per the table below.

To fully harness the potential of the UK's excellent science base and to foster a dynamic investment economy, the Budget protects record levels of government research and development (R&D) investment with £20.4 billion allocated in 2025-26. This is allocated as per the table below.

The Global Visa Risk Streaming (GVRS) system which was operated by UK Visas and Immigration for streaming visit visa applications was discontinued on 3^rd August 2020 but did not use Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The current workflow routing solution, Complexity Application Routing Solution (Visits) (CARS(V)), does not use AI and each visit visa application is decided on a case-by-case assessment against the requirements of the Appendix V Immigration Rules.

UK Visas and Immigration have published detailed guidance on the current workflow routing system: Complexity application routing solution (visits) (CARS(V)) (accessible) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The Home Office keeps fees for immigration and nationality applications under review. Where we make fee changes in legislation, an Impact Assessment is published.