Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what her policy is on producing reports into the online activity of academics on UKRI boards.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Secretary of State is a staunch believer in free speech and would not authorise a sweeping collection of the views of academics.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to paragraphs 7.16 and 7.17 of the Ministerial Code, on how many occasions Ministers in her Department have informed the Law Officers that they are the defendants in a libel action in (a) their personal capacity, (b) their official position and (c) both since 7 February 2023.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As has been the practice under successive Governments, it is not the convention to comment on where the Law Officers have, or have not been, informed or advised on such legal matters. This is reflected in paragraph 2.13 of the Ministerial Code.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her letter of 28 October 2023 to UK Research and Innovation on that organisation's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion board, how much her Department paid to Professor Kate Sang.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
I refer the hon. Member to the opening statement by the Secretary of State at the Lords Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee on 12 March 2024.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
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 press release entitled Britain to be made AI match-fit with £118 million skills package, published on 31 October 2023, what progress she has made on the creation of a new dedicated visa scheme for the world’s most talented AI researchers to come to the UK on internships and placements, early in their careers.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government has invested over £290m in AI skills and talent initiatives as we’re committed to building a sustainable pipeline of skilled workers in the UK. My Department has been working closely with the Home Office on developing a new dedicated visa scheme for the world’s most talented AI researchers to come to the UK on internships and placements, early in their careers, to encourage them to build their careers, ideas and businesses here.
This will further strengthen the UK’s generous and points-based immigration system, which enables talented international researchers to come to the UK through a number of visa routes, including the approved Temporary Worker Government Authorised Exchange schemes for individuals interested in short-term internships, training and work experience.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to paragraph 5.148 of the Autumn Statement 2023, what recent progress her Department has made on establishing a taskforce with industry to help support SMEs to adopt digital technology.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade is currently setting up an industry-led taskforce to rapidly explore how best to support SMEs to adopt digital technology. Progress is being made on the remit, Chair and membership of the taskforce and we will be launching the taskforce shortly
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many staff does the Responsible Technology Adoption Unit have.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Responsible Technology Adoption Unit has 31 staff members currently in post with 8 positions in active recruitment.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the tools available to verify election-related content.
Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
We have a tradition of robust political debate and freedom of speech in our democracy. Policy or political arguments - both online and offline - which can be rebutted by rival campaigners or the press as part of the normal course of political debate should not be regulated. It is a matter for voters to decide whether they consider such arguments/claims to be accurate.
The new digital imprints regime, introduced by the Elections Act 2022, will increase the transparency of digital political advertising, by requiring those promoting eligible digital campaigning material targeted at the UK electorate to include an imprint with their name and address.
We are working to ensure we are ready to respond to the full range of threats to our democratic processes, including through the Defending Democracy Taskforce, and the Government regularly meets with social media companies to understand the policies and processes they have in place.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to appoint an advisory board to the Responsible Technology Adoption Unit.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Responsible Technology Adoption Unit (RTA) is a directorate within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. As such, RTA works with experts and stakeholders across the AI and data ecosystem. This ensures that a diverse range of opinion and insight, including from former board members, can continue to inform its work and support the government's AI and innovation priorities. An advisory board will not be appointed for the unit.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to complete algorithmic transparency reports for the ten pilot programs being developed by the Incubator for AI.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government has made transparency around automated decision-making a priority through the publication of the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS). The ATRS was endorsed by the Data Standards Authority (DSA), and the first approved version was published in January 2023. Any standards that have been designated by the DSA have an expectation that they will be adopted where there is a use case.
The i.AI team are committed to the development of safe, secure and transparent government AI. The pilot programmes are at various stages of development, and each will be subject to robust testing and evaluation in collaboration with other government expert teams including CDDO, DSIT and the AISI. This will include the completion of Algorithmic Transparency Standards for projects that move past Alpha stages, informed by user testing and pilot programmes.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what action his Department is taking to tackle potential discrepancies between UK Visas and Immigration requirements to provide a Border Force passport stamp as proof of entry to the UK for Ukrainians applying for a biometric residence permit card and Border Force practice in stamping passports.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
We are aware of occasions where Ukrainians did not have their passport endorsed by an immigration official on arrival. Measures have been taken to prevent this from occurring in the future, and steps are being taken to progress those applications affected as soon as possible.