Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what artificial intelligence services or tools are used by their department; and whether the department has a contract with each provider of those services.
Answered by Chris Ward
The Government is committed to adopting artificial intelligence in a way that is transparent, responsible and accountable to the public.
Information about algorithmic and AI tools used by government departments to support decisions that affect members of the public, or that have a significant influence on a decision-making process with public effect, is published through the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS). The ATRS has been mandatory for central government departments since 2024, and records are published on GOV.UK at www.gov.uk/algorithmic-transparency-records. In addition, departments may use other internal tools which do not fall within the scope of the Standard.
In addition, departments may use other internal tools which do not fall within the scope of the Standard. In line with public procurement transparency requirements, departments publish contractual information for AI services and tools on Contracts Finder and, where above the relevant threshold, on the Find a Tender Service.
AI services and tools are accessed across government through a range of commercial routes. Departments may contract directly with AI providers, access AI products via intermediated routes such as reseller arrangements where the contractual relationship sits with a partner rather than the underlying provider, or use AI capabilities delivered as features within existing enterprise software and platform contracts (for example productivity, or service management tools).
Departments remain responsible in all cases for ensuring compliance with procurement legislation, securing value for money, and publishing relevant contractual information in line with transparency requirements.
Cabinet Office's authorised enterprise level AI tool is Gemini. This is managed through the existing Google contract. Google Gemini has been enabled for staff to use in their official duties as part of the broader Google Workspace productivity suite.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what artificial intelligence services or tools are used by No10; and whether the department has a contract with each provider of those services.
Answered by Chris Ward
The Government is committed to adopting artificial intelligence in a way that is transparent, responsible and accountable to the public.
Information about algorithmic and AI tools is published through the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS), available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that the Government's policy on children online safety is integrated throughout all departments.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
DSIT works routinely with many other departments to ensure that child online safety is embedded in their work. Examples include with DCMS and DfE to support safe offline spaces and activities for children, access to high-quality programming and content, and a modern curriculum that helps young people understand the law, social media and how to engage critically online, and with Home Office given the critical overlap with Violence Against Women and Girls and Child Sexual Abuse Material policy.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to upgrade homes to make them cheaper to heat in Harpenden and Berkhamsted.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government provides grant support for low‑income households worth £4.4 billion up to 2030 through the Warm Homes: Local Grant and the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, funding measures such as insulation, heat pumps, solar, and batteries.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is a universal grant offer of up to £7.500 for low carbon heating such as heat pumps, with a recent uplift to up to £9,000 for properties heated by oil or LPG in response to the Middle East situation.
We’ve also committed to offering new low-interest loans backed by an initial £2 billion of Government support, raising minimum standards in the rented sectors to ‘C’, and implementing the new Future Homes Standard to ensure new-build homes are fitted with solar, heat pumps, and high levels of insulation as standard.
These policies are part of the Government’s wider £15 billion Warm Homes Plan, which represents the biggest public investment in home upgrades in British history.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her department has made on the usage of Artificial Intelligence in schools by a) students and b) teachers.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
The department continuously monitors the emerging implications of artificial intelligence (AI) on education, including its use by pupils and teachers.
AI can have a transformative effect on education, supporting every child and young person to achieve and thrive in a rapidly evolving digital world, and enabling teachers do their jobs more efficiently, but only when it is implemented safely. Earlier this year, we announced our updated Generative AI Safety Standards, which aim to make AI for education safe by design.
AI and other digital technologies should enhance, but never replace, the human spark of learning. It is most effective when its use is overseen by a digitally confident workforce, and in instances when it can genuinely improve the learning experience.
Our published policy position on generative AI is evidence-based and sets out expectations for schools and colleges on safe, responsible and ethical use.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department have taken to improve NHS urgent referral delays to ensure that cancer patients do not have to wait more than 62 days to start treatment in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The Government is committed to ensuring that cancer patients receive timely diagnosis and treatment and to meeting all National Health Service cancer waiting time standards, including the 62-day referral to treatment standard.
NHS England continues to work with integrated care boards, Cancer Alliances, and providers to improve performance against the 62-day referral to treatment standard in all parts of England, including the areas serving patients in Harpenden and Berkhamsted. This includes targeted support for providers facing the greatest challenges in meeting the 62-day referral to treatment standard such as strengthening delivery plans, improving diagnostic and treatment pathways, and reducing delays between referral, diagnosis, and treatment.
The Government is also supporting the wider transformation of cancer services through measures set out in the National Cancer Plan, including expanding diagnostic capacity, increasing access to community diagnostic centres, rolling out straight-to-test and one-stop models where appropriate, alongside improvements to services such as histopathology. In addition, the Government is investing in modern radiotherapy equipment, including a £70 million programme to replace and upgrade radiotherapy machines across England, helping to increase treatment capacity and support patients to begin treatment more quickly once a diagnosis has been made.
These actions are intended to help ensure that patients begin treatment sooner and support improved cancer waiting time performance across England, including in Harpenden and Berkhamsted.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what artificial intelligence services or tools are used by their department; and whether the department has a contract with each provider of those services.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to adopting artificial intelligence in a way that is transparent, responsible and accountable to the public.
Information about algorithmic and AI tools used by government departments to support decisions that affect members of the public, or that have a significant influence on a decision-making process with public effect, is published through the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS). The ATRS has been mandatory for central government departments since 2024, and records are published on GOV.UK at www.gov.uk/algorithmic-transparency-records. In addition, departments may use other internal tools which do not fall within the scope of the Standard.
In line with public procurement transparency requirements, departments publish contractual information for AI services and tools on Contracts Finder and, where above the relevant threshold, on the Find a Tender Service.
AI services and tools are accessed across government through a range of commercial routes. Departments may contract directly with AI providers, access AI products via intermediated routes such as reseller arrangements where the contractual relationship sits with a partner rather than the underlying provider, or use AI capabilities delivered as features within existing enterprise software and platform contracts (for example productivity, HR or service management tools).
Departments remain responsible in all cases for ensuring compliance with procurement legislation, securing value for money, and publishing relevant contractual information in line with transparency requirements.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what artificial intelligence services or tools are used by their department; and whether the department has a contract with each provider of those services.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is committed to adopting artificial intelligence in a way that is transparent, responsible and accountable to the public.
Information about algorithmic and AI tools used by government departments to support decisions that affect members of the public, or that have a significant influence on a decision-making process with public effect, is published through the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS). The ATRS has been mandatory for central government departments since 2024, and records are published on GOV.UK at www.gov.uk/algorithmic-transparency-records. In addition, departments may use other internal tools which do not fall within the scope of the Standard.
In line with public procurement transparency requirements, departments publish contractual information for AI services and tools on Contracts Finder and, where above the relevant threshold, on the Find a Tender Service.
AI services and tools are accessed across government through a range of commercial routes. Departments may contract directly with AI providers, access AI products via intermediated routes such as reseller arrangements where the contractual relationship sits with a partner rather than the underlying provider, or use AI capabilities delivered as features within existing enterprise software and platform contracts (for example productivity, HR or service management tools).
Departments remain responsible in all cases for ensuring compliance with procurement legislation, securing value for money, and publishing relevant contractual information in line with transparency requirements.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero provides access to a range of secure, enterprise-grade artificial intelligence tools that have been assessed and approved for official use. These include services provided through existing contractual arrangements with suppliers, including Microsoft 365 Copilot within the Department’s secure Microsoft environment.
All such tools are subject to appropriate security, data protection and assurance processes. The Department does not permit the use of unapproved consumer AI tools for official business unless they have been specifically assessed and authorised.
Contracts are in place with approved providers for the supply of these enterprise-grade services in line with government procurement and assurance frameworks.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what artificial intelligence services or tools are used by their department; and whether the department has a contract with each provider of those services.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Government is committed to adopting artificial intelligence in a way that is transparent, responsible and accountable to the public.
Information about algorithmic and AI tools used by government departments to support decisions that affect members of the public, or that have a significant influence on a decision-making process with public effect, is published through the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS). The ATRS has been mandatory for central government departments since 2024, and records are published on GOV.UK at www.gov.uk/algorithmic-transparency-records.
In addition, departments may use other internal tools which do not fall within the scope of the Standard. In line with public procurement transparency requirements, departments publish contractual information for AI services and tools on Contracts Finder and, where above the relevant threshold, on the Find a Tender Service.
AI services and tools are accessed across government through a range of commercial routes. Departments may contract directly with AI providers, access AI products via intermediated routes such as reseller arrangements where the contractual relationship sits with a partner rather than the underlying provider, or use AI capabilities delivered as features within existing enterprise software and platform contracts (for example productivity, HR or service management tools).
Departments remain responsible in all cases for ensuring compliance with procurement legislation, securing value for money, and publishing relevant contractual information in line with transparency requirements.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, what artificial intelligence services or tools are used by their department; and whether the department has a contract with each provider of those services.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Attorney General
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) uses Microsoft Copilot as its approved artificial intelligence tool. AGO staff are provided access to Copilot through arrangements managed by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which provides IT services to the AGO.
The AGO does not hold separate contracts for Microsoft Copilot. As a small ministerial department, its IT services, including access to approved AI tools, are provided through the CPS as the AGO’s shared service provider.
The Government is committed to adopting artificial intelligence in a way that is transparent, responsible and accountable to the public.