Mathematical Sciences

Viscount Camrose Excerpts

Wednesday 2nd April 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Leong (Lab)]

The noble Lord makes a very interesting point. We have to get children to be interested in maths, to love maths and not to be scared of maths. We are putting a lot of money towards the various mathematical societies and learned societies. For the maths hubs, we have invested £185 million to get more teachers and students into maths. We have to do more, and we will continue to do more.

[Viscount Camrose (Con)]

My Lords, compared with just one year ago, far more tech leaders are coming to the view that the skill of coding may already be redundant thanks to AI. Whether or not they are right, if we take that as just one example of rapid technology-driven change, does the Minister agree that whatever our plans to develop maths skills, they need to be much more agile and adaptive than they currently are? If so, how can that be brought about?

[Lord Leong (Lab)]

I thank the noble Viscount for that. I am sure he is aware that DSIT supports STEM talent partners; for example, over £100 million of funding has been committed to quantum skills programmes between 2024 and 2033. Our AI upskilling fund has been providing up to £10,000 for SMEs in the professional and business sector to deliver employee training. Everything has to start from somewhere, so we are spending the money to get people upskilled in the latest technology, whether it is coding or something else.