Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what artificial intelligence services or tools are used by their department; and whether the department has a contract with each provider of those services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
The Department uses a small number of Enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) tools. These currently include Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio, and Anthropic Claude.
The Department has contractual arrangements in place for the AI tools it uses. Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Studio are provided through the Department’s Microsoft licensing arrangements, while Anthropic Claude has been accessed through Amazon Web Services.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance or expectation exists for the Health and Safety Executive to seek specialist input from the Office of Rail and Road when exercising its enforcement functions in relation to guided bus systems.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Office of Rail and Road (ORR) operate under a Memorandum of Understanding that sets out arrangements for cooperation and enables HSE to seek specialist input from ORR, where appropriate, when dealing with issues relating to guided bus systems.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance or expectation exists for the Health and Safety Executive to seek specialist input from the Office of Rail and Road when exercising its enforcement functions in relation to guided bus systems.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Office of Rail and Road (ORR) operate under a Memorandum of Understanding that sets out arrangements for cooperation and enables HSE to seek specialist input from ORR, where appropriate, when dealing with issues relating to guided bus systems.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what artificial intelligence services or tools are used by their department; and whether the department has a contract with each provider of those services.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office uses artificial intelligence tools and services across a range of functions and purposes, as set out in the response to UIN 73677 and UIN 5862.
This includes publicly available AI technologies, internally developed tools, and those procured from external providers.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what artificial intelligence services or tools are used by their department; and whether the department has a contract with each provider of those services.
Answered by Rachel Blake
Artificial intelligence covers a broad range of capabilities, including data analytics, machine learning, automation and newer generative AI tools. These capabilities are widely embedded within modern software and digital services used across government, including HM Treasury. Specific Generative AI tools broadly used by Treasury officials are Copilot365 and internal AI tools such as HMT-GPT, which are built using the Microsoft Azure service and have been assured to the appropriate security standards and approved for official use.
The department holds appropriate commercial contracts and licensing arrangements with suppliers covering the use of these systems and services, including where they incorporate AI.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help tackle gender imbalances in pre and post-16 academic and vocational pathways into engineering and technology careers.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
It is compulsory for all pupils to study science at key stage 4 and, since the 2024/25 academic year, it has been compulsory for all pupils to study science at GCSE. Following the Curriculum and Assessment Review, the government is ensuring science is made accessible to all pupils pre and post-16, giving them the best opportunity to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Technical Awards at key stage 4 allow pupils to engage with a sector and build foundational knowledge and practical skills relevant to engineering and technology pathways. We will review the current suite of Technical Awards from 2027, focusing on attainment and other relevant data, progression to post-16 pathways and overall purpose.
Post-16 technical and vocational pathways are being reformed to provide clearer choices for all students looking to pursue careers in engineering and technology, with the introduction of V Levels alongside existing T Levels in a range of subjects including Digital and Engineering and Manufacturing.
The National Centre for Computing Education delivers the ‘I Belong’ programme, which supports schools to address the barriers to girls’ participation in computing and increase uptake of computing qualifications.
From September 2025, the Advanced Maths Support Programme introduced a new programme to increase girls’ progression to A Level mathematics.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what artificial intelligence services or tools are used by their department; and whether the department has a contract with each provider of those services.
Answered by Seema Malhotra
The Government is committed to adopting artificial intelligence in a way that is transparent, responsible and accountable to the public.
The only generative AI tool currently cleared for use within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is Microsoft Copilot, which has been assured to the appropriate security standards and approved for use by all staff in the Department.
In line with public procurement transparency requirements, departments publish contractual information for AI services and tools on Contracts Finder and, where above the relevant threshold, on the Find a Tender Service.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what artificial intelligence services or tools are used by their department; and whether the department has a contract with each provider of those services.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
AI is embedded across Defence. The Ministry of Defence uses a range of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, including Microsoft 365 Copilot and Chat‑MOD, to support productivity and business processes.
The Department has appropriate contractual and licensing arrangements in place for these services.
For security, commercial and operational reasons, the Ministry of Defence does not disclose a comprehensive list of all AI tools, suppliers or contracts used across the Department.
All AI use is governed in accordance with Defence policy, including JSP 936: Dependable Artificial Intelligence in Defence.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions Ministers and officials in her Department have had with FE colleges and universities on the profile and awareness of Higher Technical Qualifications.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department has regular engagement with higher and further education providers and their representative bodies to discuss matters of mutual interest.
The department engages with these representative bodies as part of the development of policy to increase the flexibility of Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) approvals, as set out in the Post-16 Education and Skills white paper. This engagement has included, and will continue to include, discussion on raising the awareness and profile of HTQs. The list of available government approved HTQs can be found at: https://gov.uk/government/publications/approved-higher-technical-qualifications.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether there is a single, comprehensive list of available government-approved Higher Technical Qualifications for use by prospective learners and careers advisers.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department has regular engagement with higher and further education providers and their representative bodies to discuss matters of mutual interest.
The department engages with these representative bodies as part of the development of policy to increase the flexibility of Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) approvals, as set out in the Post-16 Education and Skills white paper. This engagement has included, and will continue to include, discussion on raising the awareness and profile of HTQs. The list of available government approved HTQs can be found at: https://gov.uk/government/publications/approved-higher-technical-qualifications.