Oral Answers to Questions

Olly Glover Excerpts

Thursday 15th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Kate Dearden]

I recognise my hon. Friend’s concerns about the availability of post office services in York city centre in the coming months. The Post Office has confirmed that it remains committed to providing a replacement branch, and it has received interest from several potential applicants. While these are operational matters for the Post Office, I will ask it to consider capacity concerns. I will keep my hon. Friend updated, and will ask officials to work with her and the Post Office on finding the temporary solution that she rightly mentions.

[Olly Glover (Didcot and Wantage) (LD)]

14. What steps his Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to regulate artificial intelligence.

[The Minister for Artificial Intelligence (Kanishka Narayan)]

We already have a series of areas of regulatory focus for artificial intelligence—data protection, competition policy, equality legislation and online safety. I was particularly proud that we were one of the first countries to ensure that the egregious impacts of AI chatbots on our children were mitigated. As I mentioned earlier in the week, I am looking forward to working right across the House on any further regulatory measures required to tackle any harms from artificial intelligence.

[Olly Glover]

AI has the potential to transform science and research, including on campuses such as Harwell and Culham in my Oxfordshire constituency. However, those benefits will be realised only if the risks of AI are taken seriously. Will the Minister support the call of over 85 parliamentarians for the Government to use our 2027 G20 presidency to champion an international agreement to properly regulate AI and prohibit super-intelligent AI development?

[Kanishka Narayan]

I thank the hon. Member for raising the advances of Culham in particular. I visited the site; I take great pride in it, as a national asset when it comes to nuclear fusion and the combination of AI and energy innovation. On his point about the G20, I am proud that the Prime Minister has set out that AI will be top of the agenda. We will look to play a leadership role in ensuring that we arrive at a global code and principles for safe AI.