Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Government's publication A pro-innovation approach to AI regulation, published on 29 March 2023, how much and what proportion of the budget of each regulator in their Department was spent on regulation of artificial intelligence in the latest period for which information is available; how many staff in each regulator worked (a) wholly and (b) partly on those issues in the latest period for which information is available; and whether those regulators plan to increase resources for their work on artificial intelligence.

The AI White Paper emphasised the importance of ensuring that UK regulators and public bodies have the capacity, expertise, and capabilities to implement government’s pro-innovation approach whilst recognising and understanding the risks. This is particularly true for those regulators for which AI falls squarely within their regulatory remit, but also applies to a much wider range of public and regulatory bodies considering the implications AI has across the economy.

The Department for Transport works with a number of regulators with responsibility for different modes of travel, from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to the Civil Aviation Authority and Office of Rail and Road. As such, these regulators are responsible for overseeing the application of AI within their elements of the transport system and existing structures. Therefore, regulators do not all distinguish resource dedicated specifically to AI.

The Department is working closely with its regulators to ensure new and emerging applications of AI in transport are implemented safely and with effective regulation.