Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Artificial intelligence does not form part of the established process within the Department for answering written parliamentary questions.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport is not currently using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of earmarking 10% of the transport budget for encouraging (a) walking, (b) cycling and (c) other healthier transport choices.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises that investment in high quality active travel infrastructure supports its economic growth, health and net zero missions by helping to revitalise high streets; enabling people to live longer, healthier lives; and helping to reduce transport emissions. The Department announced the details of almost £300 million of funding for active travel in 2024/5 and 2025/6 on 12 February. Decisions on Government funding for active travel and other transport priorities for the years 2026/27 and beyond will be a matter for the Spending Review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has she made of the adequacy of the level of financial education for students in post-16 educational settings.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Financial education is integrated into the curriculum at key stages 3 and 4 through citizenship education and elements of the mathematics curriculum but is not compulsory at key stage 5. However, post-16 education providers are free to teach it if they wish to do so.

There are a range of financial education qualifications available for 16 to 19 year-old students to study. This includes qualifications and courses at levels 1 and 2 for lower attaining GCSE students to support their financial literacy, as well as new qualifications at level 3, such as the T Level in Finance for those wishing to pursue a career in the industry. Level 3 Core Maths qualifications also cover financial literacy.

The mathematics and English condition of funding supports students who do not attain level 2 English and mathematics qualifications at 16, by requiring them to continue to study these subjects as part of their 16-19 study programme or T Level. Students with a GCSE grade 2 or below can study towards either level 2 Functional Skills or GCSE grade 9 to 4. This allows institutions and students with prior attainment of GCSE grade 2 and below to choose which level 2 qualification is most appropriate. The Functional Skills qualification mathematics subject content covers elements of personal finance explicitly and delivers the wider mathematics skills needed for personal finance.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has made Microsoft Copilot available to staff as part of a trial. It is therefore possible that officials have used Copilot to assist them when drafting replies to written parliamentary questions. All responses are reviewed by policy officials to ensure accuracy and consistency with government policy, and are signed off by Ministers.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice has not used AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

No, DCMS has not used AI software to respond to written parliamentary questions.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP has access to AI software tools to support day-to-day workings such as the drafting process for responding to written parliamentary questions. The terms of use are clear that the license holder must review the content provided by the tool. All responses are drafted and reviewed by policy officials to ensure accuracy and consistency with government policy, and are signed off by Ministers.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department does not formally use AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology does not have a specific policy on the use of AI for responding to written parliamentary questions. However, staff do have access to AI software tools to support the drafting process. All responses are reviewed by policy officials to ensure accuracy and consistency with government policy, and are signed off by Ministers.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

A small proportion of staff in the Department for Business and Trade have access to AI software tools at the moment. These tools may be used to support the drafting process for responding to written parliamentary questions. All responses are reviewed by policy officials to ensure accuracy and consistency with government policy, and are signed off personally by Ministers.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

No, Home Office has not used AI software to respond to written parliamentary questions.

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Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

In HM Treasury, written parliamentary questions are drafted by civil servants and answered by ministers.

For information on the use of AI in HM Treasury, I refer the member to the answer given to UIN 23715 on 22 January 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

I can reassure the hon. Member that all parliamentary questions are personally signed off by a Minister. I signed this one off at my desk in the Ministry of Defence at 3.07pm on 4 March 2025 for instance.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has had discussions with HM Treasury on the potential merits of re-introducing a 75% retail, hospitality and leisure relief rate.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Without any Government intervention, Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief would have ended in April, creating a cliff-edge for businesses. We are providing support for retail, hospitality and leisure properties in the interim period leading up to the new permanent multiplier by providing 40% relief to RHL businesses on their business rates in 2025-26, up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business.  This is protecting the smallest properties by freezing the small business multiplier in 2025-26 and protecting over a million properties from inflationary bill increases.  We continue to work closely with HM Treasury on the challenges facing high streets and other businesses.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, whether her Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

No, the Attorney General's Office has not used AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

No, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has not used AI software to respond to written parliamentary questions.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions his Department has had to ensure that Rosebank and Jackdaw Oil Fields continue in production.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made of the potential merits of strengthening protections for cruelty against (a) dogs, (b) cats and (c) ferrets.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Causing unnecessary suffering to an animal is an offence under Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, subject to a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation.

The Department has initiated a series of meetings with key animal welfare stakeholders as part of the development of an overarching approach to animal welfare. We will be outlining more detail of plans in due course.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

No, Defra has not used AI software to respond to written parliamentary questions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress his Department has made on reducing the backlog of children and young people waiting for mental health services in Leicestershire.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Child and adolescent mental health services work with young people and their families from across Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland. The service also links with other children’s services, such as early help, schools, and social care to provide a multi-agency approach.

Leicestershire Partnership Trust is taking the following steps to reduce the backlog of patients waiting for mental health services:

- timely discharge of children and young people who have completed a course of intervention to ensure flow through the service and reduced waits;

- ascertain if group work is an appropriate option to ensure early support, preventing further waits;

- clinical staff are asked to consider if they are able to work additional hours to increase capacity;

- a robust recruitment and retention plan to reduce vacancies, which will increase capacity to offer more sessions and/or interventions; and

- service wide capacity and demand work to ensure all available service capacity is used.

The following are some of the measures the Mental Health Support Teams in Schools service has in place to manage waits:

- weekly allocation meetings to prevent children and young people waiting beyond four weeks; and

- where there is a situation where a child or young person has been waiting for longer than four weeks, a referral would be allocated to a practitioner outside of the referral area to ensure the quickest access and to reduce waiting time, and a phone consultation would be offered to determine whether the child or young person can be signposted to another service.

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Found: _NC30 Sir Ashley Fox Mr Peter Bedford Jim Allister Ellie Chowns Robin Swann Nick Timothy Steve

Found: _NC30 Sir Ashley Fox Mr Peter Bedford Jim Allister Ellie Chowns Robin Swann Nick Timothy Steve

Found: _NC30 Sir Ashley Fox Mr Peter Bedford Jim Allister Ellie Chowns Robin Swann Nick Timothy Steve

Found: _NC30 Sir Ashley Fox Mr Peter Bedford Jim Allister Ellie Chowns Robin Swann Nick Timothy Steve

Found: _NC30 Sir Ashley Fox Mr Peter Bedford Jim Allister Ellie Chowns Robin Swann Nick Timothy .

Found: Members of the committee were: • Peter Bedford (Mid Leicestershire) (Con) • Steve Darling (Torbay)

Found: _NC30 Sir Ashley Fox Mr Peter Bedford Jim Allister Ellie Chowns Robin Swann Nick Timothy ★.