Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to increase the recruitment of parents in the AI and data science sector.

Government recognises the importance of diversifying the AI talent pool, and we will support this goal this through the design and delivery of our skills and talent programmes.

DSIT is standing up the new TechFirst programme that will reach 1 million young people across the UK with AI and tech educational opportunities. This will also support more of our most promising home talent into scholarship and PhD routes that they would not otherwise have accessed.

To further strengthen the UK’s AI skills base we are launching the prestigious AI Spärck scholarships and are expanding the Turing AI Fellowships. We are committed to ensuring that these programmes offer opportunities to a diverse range of participants.

UKRI is the primary funder of data science research and innovation in the UK. They required to show how they will ensure diversity of recruitment and support inclusion within their operations.