Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to mitigate risks which have been recorded in the her Department's AI risk register.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The AI Risk Register is owned and managed by the Central AI Risk Function (CAIRF). CAIRF has been established as part of our central functions which support coordination of the AI governance landscape. CAIRF conducts central risk assessment, monitors identified risks included on the register, and identifies relevant risk owners across government. DSIT will be responsible for cross-cutting mitigations to AI risks.
We are working with departments and regulators on how they best respond to AI risks within their remits. Many regulators are already taking action in line with our principles-based approach, such as the CMA’s review into foundation models.
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department's response to the AI regulation White Paper entitled A pro-innovation approach to AI regulation: government response, published on 6 February 2024, if he will publish the list of risks on the Department's AI risk register.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
To track identified risks, we have established an initial AI Risk Register which is owned by the Central AI Risk Function. The AI risk register lists individual risks associated with AI and outlines their likelihood and impact.
In the White Paper we committed to engaging and publishing the risk register. From Spring 2024 we will begin a call for evidence on the risks recorded on the AI risk register.
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department's response to the AI regulation White Paper entitled A pro-innovation approach to AI regulation: government response, published on 6 February 2024, what her Department's criteria is for identifying a risk and recording it on the AI risk register.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The central AI risk function will maintain a holistic view of risks across the AI ecosystem. It will look at risk factors that cut across many risks, such as model capabilities, adoption, release practices, use cases, actors, and other vulnerabilities as well as the extent to which existing mitigations or resilience reduce the risk, and where gaps remain.
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 24 January 2024 to Question 10644 on Artificial Intelligence and ICT: Postgraduate Education, how much industry co-funding (a) for scholarship funding and (b) excluding in-kind support has been secured by her Department since November 2023.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
In November 2023 DSIT, through the Office for Students, published the latest data on industry funding for the AI conversion course and scholarship scheme as part of ongoing monitoring and evaluation. The next interim evaluation report is due to be published in June 2024 and will contain the latest breakdown of in-kind and scholarship funding commitments secured from industry, including the period since November 2023.
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department's response to the AI regulation White Paper entitled A pro-innovation approach to AI regulation: government response, published on 6 February 2024, how many civil servants in (a) her Department and (b) across Government are working on the risk register of AI risks.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We currently have 10 officials working on AI risks in the central AI risk function, which owns the AI Risk Register. This is part of the wider AI Policy Directorate and AI Safety Institute of roughly 200 officials that includes teams covering AI regulation, strategy and risk, UK capability and international engagement. In addition, there are wider risk owning teams in at least 15 other Government Departments, who work on AI risks in their remits. We do not hold resourcing numbers for other Governments Departments.
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answers of 8 December 2023 to Question 2996 and 11 December 2023 to Question 5290, for what reason the information could be provided to Question 2996 but not Question 5290.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Question 2996 concerned the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Question 5290 related to the department’s arm’s length bodies (ALBs). It is not a requirement for all public sector organisations to provide legacy IT systems ratings. It is also the case that detailed information held about red-rated systems is sensitive and cannot be disclosed due to security considerations.
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent progress his Department has made on the sale of Reading Gaol; what recent estimate he has made of when the sale will be completed; and who the purchaser will be.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The sale of the former Reading Gaol to the Ziran Education Foundation was completed on 10 January.
This sale will provide funds which will be reinvested in the wider prison estate and in turn will help the Ministry of Justice protect the public and reduce re-offending.
I have written to both the honourable member and his colleague, the Rt Hon Member for Reading West, to give further details of the sale.
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answers of 29 November 2023 to Question 3658 and 11 December 2023 to Question 5608, for what reason the information could only be provided on 29 November 2023.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Detailed information held about Red Rated Systems is sensitive and can not be disclosed due to security considerations. However, as of 06 December 2023, HMRC as a Non-Ministerial Department has 4 red-rated legacy IT systems as defined in the CDDO legacy IT Risk Assessment Framework.
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answers of 8 December 2023 to Question 2996 and 11 December 2023 to Question 5290, for what reason the information could only be provided on 8 December 2023.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The department apologises for the delay in answering the Honourable Member’s question UIN 2996.
The answer to this question was due to be published on 28 November 2023 alongside the answer to question UIN 2995. Unfortunately, question UIN 2996 was not answered on this date due to an administrative error. We apologise for this oversight and steps have been taken to prevent this from happening again.
UIN 5290 was answered, within four working days, on 11 December 2023.
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2023 to Question 3662 on Ministry of Defence: ICT, if he will publish details of the 11 red-rated legacy IT systems.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The information held about Red Rated Systems is sensitive as it highlights potential security weaknesses within the Ministry of Defence’s IT estate. For this reason I am withholding this information.