Procedural Flexibility: Scrutiny of AI and Emerging Technology

Lord Harper Excerpts

Thursday 22nd October 2026 Lords Chamber

[The Senior Deputy Speaker]

As the noble Lord may know, a debate on that very subject will be held at 12 pm in the Moses Room. The proposition before the House is that we should start at 1 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. To date, there have been 360 responses to that proposition, which is a great improvement on the last time this matter was considered, about four years ago. I encourage all noble Lords to respond. The consultation closes at 5 pm on 13 November. If there is to be change, it will be for the House to decide whether that change is enacted.

[Lord Harper (Con)]

My Lords, the Question from the noble Lord, Lord Nagaraju, is about procedural flexibility, which the House will use shortly in the PNQ on whether the Government have successfully responded to the PHP security threat. Can I use a bit of procedural flexibility and ask the Senior Deputy Speaker to assure noble Lords that the House responded swiftly, that its information technology systems have been patched, and that that security flaw has been fixed?

[The Senior Deputy Speaker]

The answer to that question is yes. I say that because the Clerk of the Parliaments nodded at me while the noble Lord asked his question.