Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many ministerial red boxes belonging to her Department have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen in each of the last three years.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology was established in February 2023 as a result of the Machinery of Government changes, so records only exist for one year.
The following table includes the number of lost or stolen ministerial red boxes from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology for 2023.
2023 | |
Lost | 0 |
Stolen | 0 |
The departmental security unit records and investigates each reported loss from the Department. If appropriate, the police are invited to undertake further inquiries.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether any refurbishments have been made to ministerial offices in her Department in each of the last two years.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
The Department was created on 7 February 2023. Since then, the ministerial offices were moved to collocate them with the Department’s Secretary of State, but this did not involve the refurbishment of any office space.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether there have been any power cuts on their Department's property in each of the last three years.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
The Department does not keep an official record of the occurrence of power cuts.
The Government Property Agency (GPA) is responsible for managing the Department’s office estate, including the provision of utilities and maintenance of the building. The Department’s Estates Team officials work closely with GPA to ensure that any power supply issues that do occur are quickly addressed.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what data their Department holds on the (a) number and (b) total cost of replacing (i) laptops, (ii) mobile phones, (iii) memory sticks and (iv) external hard drives that have been (A) lost and (B) stolen in the last year.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Between 7th February 2023, when the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) was formed, to 10th November 2023, our records show the following devices were reported lost or stolen.
| (A) Lost | (B) Stolen | Replacement Cost |
(i) Laptop | 2 | 5 | £6,125 (£875 unit) |
(ii) Mobile Phone | 26 | 3 | £10,295 (£355 unit) |
DSIT has a policy for the controlled use of memory sticks and external hard drives. These are only permitted with a valid and approved business case and using authorised, hardware encrypted devices. Once approved, individual Directorates are responsible for controlling the memory sticks and external hard drives, therefore no figures on loss are held centrally. All end-user devices are encrypted and can be remotely locked.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if her Department will take steps to launch a stakeholder consultation on the Hiroshima Process International Guiding Principles for organisations developing advanced AI systems.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
As part of our broader commitment to work closely with our international partners to ensure the development of safe AI, the UK has been an active participant in the G7 Hiroshima AI Process. Throughout the negotiation of the International Guiding Principles and related International Code of Conduct for Organisations Developing Advanced AI Systems, we maintained a focus on maximising the transformative potential of AI and managing the risks for individuals and society, building from the strengths of our pro-innovation, risk-based domestic approach. We have also ensured that the Hiroshima AI Process complements and can build on the important progress made during our own AI Safety Summit, which had a more focused ambition on frontier AI safety.
We recognise that stakeholder consultation is an important next step in ensuring that both Hiroshima AI Process outputs can effectively shape organisations’ behaviours. Alongside our G7 partners, the UK will take steps to support further stakeholder consultation to ensure that relevant organisations have the chance to contribute to the process. We continue to work closely with Japan, the current G7 and Hiroshima AI Process Chair, to shape the ongoing workplan.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for its policies on artificial intelligence of the draft International Guiding Principles for organisations developing advanced AI systems.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
As stated in the October 30 G7 Leaders’ Statement on the Hiroshima AI Process, the UK welcomes the development of the International Guiding Principles for Organisations Developing Advanced AI systems. These Principles will help maximise the innovative opportunities and transformative potential of AI, whilst helping to keep citizens safe from risks. They will be subject to further stakeholder consultation that will be developed alongside Japan, the current G7 and Hiroshima AI Process chair.
We will further reflect on the Guiding Principles in the continued development of our AI policy. We recognise the value of the Principles as Governments continue to develop their own domestic approaches to AI, including the UK with our own pro-innovation, risk-based approach
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2023 to Question 181745 on Copyright: Arts, if she will publish a list of the names of representatives of the creative industries that her Department has met with since 1 February 2023 to discuss text and data mining.
Answered by George Freeman
The Department has met the Alliance for IP; the British Copyright Council and members; The News Media Agency and News Licensing Association and members; and the Copyright Clearance Center. As diary information is not held centrally, it is not possible to determine whether this is a definitive list without disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2023 to Question 181745 on Copyright: Arts, if she will publish the dates and times of meetings between her Department and representatives from the creative industries on text and data mining since 1 February 2023.
Answered by George Freeman
The information requested is not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2023 to Question 181744 on Copyright: Arts, what steps her Department is taking with representatives from creative industries and AI developers to develop a code of practice for text and data mining; and whether her Department will accept written evidence from members of the public who work in (a) creative and (b) tech industries.
Answered by George Freeman
To inform the code of practice, the Government will convene a group of AI firms and rights holders to identify barriers faced by users of data mining techniques when accessing copyright materials, and to develop licensing solutions for these. As the draft develops, we will seek evidence from an appropriate range of sources.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department will proceed with its policy to introduce a new copyright and database exception which allows Text and Data Mining any purpose as announced on 28 June 2022.
Answered by George Freeman
The Government has already announced that it will not proceed with its previous policy for a broad copyright exception for data mining. Instead, it will work with AI developers and right holders to develop a code of practice by the Summer. The Government seeks to strike a balanced and pragmatic approach which allows AI innovators and the creative industries to grow in partnership.