Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the regulatory and consumer protection implications of the use of AI as financial guidance tools; and what safeguards they are putting in place to protect consumers.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government aims for the UK to be a global leader in AI, using our strengths in financial services and AI to boost growth, productivity and consumer benefits. Safe adoption is central to this.
Organisations must handle personal data fairly, lawfully, transparently and securely, with individuals retaining rights such as access, correction and deletion.
The Financial Conduct Authority is also acting in this space, including publishing guidance for consumers on using AI tools for investment research and highlighting risks like inaccurate or outdated information.
The FCA’s Supercharged Sandbox and AI Live Testing service give firms access to computing, data and safe real‑world environments to support responsible AI use in UK financial markets.
More broadly, the Government recognises that people often lack the support they need when making financial decisions. To improve this, we are introducing a new targeted support regime enabling trusted firms to suggest suitable products or actions based on a customer’s circumstances. Targeted Support will launch in April 2026.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the Solicitors Regulation Authority on the operation of it complaints procedure for matters involving alleged Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government has not held any discussions with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regarding its handling of complaints relating to Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). The SRA operates independently of Government, and it would therefore not be appropriate for the Government to comment on its decisions.
The SRA has taken a series of regulatory, guidance-based, and enforcement-related actions to address SLAPPs to tackle reports of related misconduct within the legal profession. This includes issuing a warning notice in 2022 setting out expectations on solicitors’ conduct in SLAPP-type cases, which was updated in 2024, and publishing accompanying guidance reminding solicitors and law firms of their wider professional obligations not to bring unmeritorious or abusive claims. However, I will raise this with the SRA to determine what additional action they might be able to take in this area.
The Government implemented the SLAPPs measures in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 in June 2025, which provides protection against SLAPPs relating to economic crime. While this represents a positive first step, we are considering all options for reform to ensure that all types of SLAPPs are addressed comprehensively.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress his Department has made on ensuring the adequacy of legal protections for journalists, academics, campaigners and other public-interest actors facing Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation that fall outside the scope of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government has not held any discussions with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regarding its handling of complaints relating to Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). The SRA operates independently of Government, and it would therefore not be appropriate for the Government to comment on its decisions.
The SRA has taken a series of regulatory, guidance-based, and enforcement-related actions to address SLAPPs to tackle reports of related misconduct within the legal profession. This includes issuing a warning notice in 2022 setting out expectations on solicitors’ conduct in SLAPP-type cases, which was updated in 2024, and publishing accompanying guidance reminding solicitors and law firms of their wider professional obligations not to bring unmeritorious or abusive claims. However, I will raise this with the SRA to determine what additional action they might be able to take in this area.
The Government implemented the SLAPPs measures in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 in June 2025, which provides protection against SLAPPs relating to economic crime. While this represents a positive first step, we are considering all options for reform to ensure that all types of SLAPPs are addressed comprehensively.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the Solicitors Regulation Authority on their approach to complaints involving alleged Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation activity, including concerns that such complaints are being closed without substantive investigation.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government has not held any discussions with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regarding its handling of complaints relating to Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). The SRA operates independently of Government, and it would therefore not be appropriate for the Government to comment on its decisions.
The SRA has taken a series of regulatory, guidance-based, and enforcement-related actions to address SLAPPs to tackle reports of related misconduct within the legal profession. This includes issuing a warning notice in 2022 setting out expectations on solicitors’ conduct in SLAPP-type cases, which was updated in 2024, and publishing accompanying guidance reminding solicitors and law firms of their wider professional obligations not to bring unmeritorious or abusive claims. However, I will raise this with the SRA to determine what additional action they might be able to take in this area.
The Government implemented the SLAPPs measures in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 in June 2025, which provides protection against SLAPPs relating to economic crime. While this represents a positive first step, we are considering all options for reform to ensure that all types of SLAPPs are addressed comprehensively.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen protections against non-economic crime Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government has not held any discussions with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regarding its handling of complaints relating to Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). The SRA operates independently of Government, and it would therefore not be appropriate for the Government to comment on its decisions.
The SRA has taken a series of regulatory, guidance-based, and enforcement-related actions to address SLAPPs to tackle reports of related misconduct within the legal profession. This includes issuing a warning notice in 2022 setting out expectations on solicitors’ conduct in SLAPP-type cases, which was updated in 2024, and publishing accompanying guidance reminding solicitors and law firms of their wider professional obligations not to bring unmeritorious or abusive claims. However, I will raise this with the SRA to determine what additional action they might be able to take in this area.
The Government implemented the SLAPPs measures in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 in June 2025, which provides protection against SLAPPs relating to economic crime. While this represents a positive first step, we are considering all options for reform to ensure that all types of SLAPPs are addressed comprehensively.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing primary legislation to guarantee the right for every person in (a) care and (b) health settings to have at least one essential care supporter.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises how important maintaining meaningful contact with loved ones and other essential care supporters is for the health and wellbeing of residents in care homes and patients in hospitals or hospices.
In April 2025, the Department launched a review of the effectiveness of Care Quality Commission Regulation 9A: Visiting and accompanying in care homes, hospitals and hospices, to consider whether it has been effective in meeting its objectives.
The review considered the experiences of those receiving care, their families and loved ones, providers, and health experts, as well as information from the Care Quality Commission, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, and other United Kingdom nations.
The Department is committed to publishing the outcome of the review as soon as possible.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his proposed timetable is for publishing the Government review of CQC regulation 9A.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises how important maintaining meaningful contact with loved ones and other essential care supporters is for the health and wellbeing of residents in care homes and patients in hospitals or hospices.
In April 2025, the Department launched a review of the effectiveness of Care Quality Commission Regulation 9A: Visiting and accompanying in care homes, hospitals and hospices, to consider whether it has been effective in meeting its objectives.
The review considered the experiences of those receiving care, their families and loved ones, providers, and health experts, as well as information from the Care Quality Commission, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, and other United Kingdom nations.
The Department is committed to publishing the outcome of the review as soon as possible.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to make nationally owned public-sector data available for ethical and secure use in AI development to support innovation and public service delivery.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As set out in the AI Opportunities Action Plan and the Modern Industrial Strategy, the Government is committed to treating public sector data as a strategic national asset and unlocking high-impact public datasets for AI use.
The Government recently published an update outlining the significant progress made on the Action Plan with 38 of its 50 commitments delivered against in 12 months.
This update demonstrated that 6 of the 7 data recommendations have been delivered – this includes the publishing of best practice guidance on how to make public sector datasets ready for AI (R09), and details on the delivery of ‘kickstarter’ projects making high-impact datasets available to AI researchers and innovators (R07).
DSIT have also launched an open call to understand the opportunities for public sector data among businesses, researchers and public bodies.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how her Department assesses how effectively local highway authorities are spending pothole funding.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department assesses how effectively local highway authorities are spending highways maintenance funding through a combination of transparency requirements, incentive funding and rating mechanisms, enabling the provision of targeted support. The Department published a new traffic light rating system for local highway authorities on 11 January. Under this system, all local highway authorities in England received a red, amber or green rating based on the condition of their roads, how much they spend to maintain their roads, and whether they do so using best practice. These ratings are designed to promote good asset management and encourage a preventative approach to highways maintenance.
For the 2025/26 financial year, 25% of the £500 million funding increase was contingent upon local highway authorities demonstrating how they were complying with certain criteria aimed at driving best practice and improvement of highways maintenance. This included publishing transparency reports setting out how they are spending their highways maintenance funding and how they are complying with best practice, including preventative maintenance.
Looking ahead, a proportion of highways maintenance funding will continue to be allocated as incentive funding, linked to authorities’ transparency and performance, to support continuous improvement across the network. The Department is also providing dedicated support to authorities, including a peer review offer for red-rated authorities. This is alongside the extension of Live Labs 2, the Department’s highways innovation programme.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to announce details of the next steps of the Maritime Decarbonisation Plan, including responses to calls for evidence on net zero ports and decarbonising small vessels.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are already meeting the commitments set out in the 2025 Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy. This includes expanding the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to the domestic maritime sector from July this year and a further £448 million for the UK SHORE programme supporting the research and development of clean maritime fuels and technologies.
As set out in the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, we committed to publishing a review of the Strategy within five years of publication and an update following the adoption of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s) mid-term measures. We remain committed to working with other Member States to progress adoption of the mid-term measures this year, which is vital for climate action and providing industry with the certainty it needs.
We will provide a summary of responses to the calls for evidence on net zero ports and smaller vessels in due course.