Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what work his Department plans to undertake during the time period for reaching a decision on local government reorganisation in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; and whether this will include (a) inviting revised submissions from councils behind the original four options, (b) developing a modified option of his own and (c) inviting new proposals from any constituent council.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government will aim to reach a decision on which option, if any, to implement by October at the latest. This will still allow elections to new councils in May 2027 before they go live in April 2028.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he had discussions on Lord Vallance on the implications of the local government reorganisation options for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough for delivery of the Growth Corridor, prior to the Government's announcement of 16 July 2026..
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government will aim to reach a decision on which option, if any, to implement by October at the latest. This will still allow elections to new councils in May 2027 before they go live in April 2028.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, by what date he plans to announce a decision on local government reorganisation in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; and whether this will affect the planned timetable of shadow elections in May 2027 and vesting day in April 2028.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government will aim to reach a decision on which option, if any, to implement by October at the latest. This will still allow elections to new councils in May 2027 before they go live in April 2028.
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.