Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Gillian Keegan Excerpts
Wednesday 10th July 2019

(5 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Kevin Foster Portrait Kevin Foster
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As I said a few moments ago, the review will need to take into account and support the current devolution settlement.

I wish that, in my assessment of devolution, I could have said that it had produced better education standards in Scotland. In fact, however, Scottish schools have fallen in international rankings, and a smaller percentage of Scotland’s most deprived children go to university than in any other part of the United Kingdom. It is not devolution that is at fault; it is the Scottish National party.

Gillian Keegan Portrait Gillian Keegan (Chichester) (Con)
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5. What progress the Government have made on using innovative technologies to deliver public services.

Oliver Dowden Portrait The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Oliver Dowden)
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Last month I launched the Government’s technology innovation strategy, which sets out how we will approach the use of emergent technologies in future. I also launched an artificial intelligence guide which will help Departments to build on areas in which artificial intelligence is already being used effectively across Government—for example, to improve MOT inspections and prison safety.

Gillian Keegan Portrait Gillian Keegan
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Chichester Careline is the only telecare monitoring centre in West Sussex. It operates Mindme, a service that GPS-tracks vulnerable people, usually those with dementia, so that families, friends, carers and Careline staff can locate them 24/7. It has saved lives, and countless hours of worry. Will the Minister look into how innovative technology of that kind can be used across Government to support the most vulnerable in our society?

Oliver Dowden Portrait Oliver Dowden
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It is very important to highlight that sort of work. It is just another example of the impact that innovative technology can have in improving people’s lives. The purpose of the GovTech Catalyst challenge is to explore the use of technologies for adult social care, and the Geospatial Commission is helping the Government and the private sector to make better use of GPS data.