Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the use of artificial intelligence to improve and streamline public services.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
AI is at the heart of the government’s plan to transform how we deliver public services. As set out in the AI Opportunities Action Plan and the Blueprint for a Modern Digital Government, both published January 2025, the UK government has a vision to support the UK’s leading position in the global AI sector through a safe, effective, efficient and ethical adoption of AI in the UK’s public sector.
DSIT has conducted some analysis of the early impact of AI in the public sector. A cross-government pilot of 20,000 civil servants found tools like Microsoft Copilot save an average of 26 minutes per person per day while a trial of AI coding assistants found that public sector engineers reported 56 minutes saved per day.
A number of trials across departments demonstrate the breadth of efficiency gains AI can deliver. Early trials of Incubator for AI’s Consult have showed a significant reduction in processing time for government consultations, while their Extract tool cuts the time needed to convert old planning documents into digital data from 1–2 hours to 40 seconds. Other efficiency gains include NHS Ambient Voice, which enables doctors to spend almost 25% more time directly interacting with patients.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on integrating artificial intelligence into public services.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology regularly engages with Cabinet colleagues on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into public services. AI is at the heart of the government’s plan to transform how we deliver public services, improving outcomes for citizens and public sector workers through responsible adoption.
This work is guided by the AI Opportunities Action Plan and the Blueprint for a Modern Digital Government, which set out a vision for safe, effective and ethical use of AI across government. Departments are supported through resources such as the AI Knowledge Hub and a cross-government AI Community of Practice, which share best practice and practical guidance.
We are following a “scan, pilot and scale” approach to embedding AI, including through the Prime Minister’s AI Exemplars and the AI Frontiers Portfolios. These initiatives are testing high-potential use cases – from AI diagnostics in healthcare to tools that streamline planning applications and probation casework – and sharing lessons learned to accelerate adoption.
AI also plays a central role in delivering the Cabinet Office-led productive and agile state agenda. This means reducing bureaucracy and duplication, streamlining approval processes and improving accountability for Civil Service performance. By automating routine tasks and enabling smarter workflows, AI helps free up staff time for citizen-facing work and supports faster, more efficient decision-making. Our collaboration with the Cabinet Office ensures that AI adoption aligns with this vision and accelerates progress towards a modern digital government.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2025 to Question 26719 on Broadband: Telford, what steps her Department is taking to help (a) expand consumer choice and (b) reduce the cost of 5G services in Telford.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government has created a pro-competition regulatory framework that has allowed more than a hundred alternative networks to enter the fixed broadband market since 2018. This has led to the fast roll-out of fibre across the UK and more choice for consumers. We continue to support a pro-competition environment for the sector, as set out in our draft Statement of Strategic Priorities for telecommunications, the management of radio spectrum, and postal services, published in July.
The mobile market is highly competitive with three wholesale providers and over 100 retail providers. The Government has no role in setting prices in the mobile market. The average cost per gigabit of data in the UK decreased 8% in real terms between 2023 and 2024.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the timetable is for the (a) introduction of 5G and (b) the rollout of fibre broadband in Telford constituency.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government wants all areas of the UK, including Telford constituency, to benefit from good quality mobile coverage. Our ambition is for all populated areas to have higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030.
5G is already available in the Telford constituency. I have raised my concerns about the reporting of mobile connectivity with Ofcom, but according to Ofcom’s Connected Nations report (published on 5 December 2024) 5G is available from at least one operator outside 99% of all premises in the Telford constituency.
In the Telford constituency, over 99% of premises can access superfast broadband speeds (>=30 Mbps) and over 87% have access to gigabit-capable broadband coverage (>1000 Mbps). There is high existing gigabit coverage and commercial plans in the area. Therefore, this constituency is not expected to see significant benefits from Project Gigabit.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the average length of paternity leave taken by staff in his Department was in each of the last three years.
Answered by Feryal Clark
Our records show that between 2021 and October 2024, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) employee’s have taken 160 days paternity leave for the birth or adoption of a child.
The average working days taken per colleague (AWDT) is shown in the table below.
Year | AWDT |
2021 | - |
2022 | - |
2023 (Feb 2023* to Dec 2023) | 10 |
2024 (Jan 2024 to Oct 2024) | 12.9 |
*The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) was established in February 2023. Data before this time is unavailable.