Q5

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Martin Wrigley (Newton Abbot) (LD):

Yesterday, the Chancellor announced £2 billion of funding for UK sovereign artificial intelligence and quantum capabilities. The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee was told that Government procurement will adapt to encourage UK companies to develop sovereign AI systems for Government use. In the light of those positive events, will the Prime Minister ensure that key digital systems in health, defence and policing are made sovereign and retendered to UK companies, not to politically motivated US companies such as Palantir?

Q5

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Martin Wrigley (Newton Abbot) (LD):

Yesterday, the Chancellor announced £2 billion of funding for UK sovereign artificial intelligence and quantum capabilities. The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee was told that Government procurement will adapt to encourage UK companies to develop sovereign AI systems for Government use. In the light of those positive events, will the Prime Minister ensure that key digital systems in health, defence and policing are made sovereign and retendered to UK companies, not to politically motivated US companies such as Palantir?

As the hon. Gentleman says, the Chancellor set out yesterday the huge economic opportunities of innovation and AI. We have put £5 billion behind British start-ups, and we will launch our sovereign AI unit with £500 million to help AI businesses start and grow. We are investing the £2 billion that he refers to in our quantum capabilities so that we can be the first country in the world to roll-out quantum computers at scale. Procurement must be the launchpad for start-ups, and we are determined to deliver that.

As the hon. Gentleman says, the Chancellor set out yesterday the huge economic opportunities of innovation and AI. We have put £5 billion behind British start-ups, and we will launch our sovereign AI unit with £500 million to help AI businesses start and grow. We are investing the £2 billion that he refers to in our quantum capabilities so that we can be the first country in the world to roll-out quantum computers at scale. Procurement must be the launchpad for start-ups, and we are determined to deliver that.

Points of order on why new clause 30 (Access to a deceased child’s social media data) was not called. Clause 117, discussed with an amendment, new clause 10 (Data Vision and Strategy), new clause 11 (Departmental Board Appointments), and new clause 16 (Data use in Public Service Delivery Review), agreed to. Clauses 118 to 120 agreed to. Schedule 14 agreed to. Clause 121, discussed with new clause 3 (Health and social care data records), a Government amendment and schedule 15, agreed to. Schedule 15 agreed to, as amended. Schedule 16 agreed to. Clauses 122 and 123 agreed to. Clause 124, discussed with new clause 29 (Compliance with Section 124 of this Act and Part 3, Chapter 2 of the Online Safety Act 2023), agreed to. Clauses 125 to 134 agreed to. Clauses 135 to 139 disagreed to on division (2 votes to 9 in each case). Clause 140 disagreed to on division (4 votes to 11). Clause 141 agreed to, as amended. Clauses 142 to 147 agreed to, with clauses 144 and 147 agreed to as amended. New clause 2 (Impact of this Act and other developments at national and international level on EU data adequacy decision), debated and withdrawn. New clause 6 (Public-interest data trusts and communities), discussed with new clause 25 (Promotion of public-interest data trusts and communities), and new clause 28 (Public-interest data altruism), debated and withdrawn. New clause 9 (Right to use non-digital verification services), negatived on division (2 votes to 9). New clause 17 (Statement on application of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to activities by web-crawlers or artificial intelligence models), negatived on division (4 votes to 9). New clause 18 (Report on regulation of web-crawlers and artificial intelligence models on use of creative content) negatived on division (4 votes to 9). New clause 19 (Report on reducing barriers to market entry for start-ups and smaller AI enterprises on use of and access to data), negatived on division (4 votes to 9). New clause 20 (Publication of a technological standard), negatived on division (4 votes to 9). New clause 21 (Age of consent for social media data processing), negatived on division (2 votes to 9). Bill, as amended, to be reported (Bill 199). Committee rose. Written evidence reported to the House.

Points of order on why new clause 30 (Access to a deceased child’s social media data) was not called. Clause 117, discussed with an amendment, new clause 10 (Data Vision and Strategy), new clause 11 (Departmental Board Appointments), and new clause 16 (Data use in Public Service Delivery Review), agreed...

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the use of data by Government departments.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the use of data by Government departments.

Second reading. Agreed to on question. Programme motion. Agreed to on question. Money resolution. King's recommendation signified. Agreed to on question. Ways and means resolution. Agreed to on question.

Second reading. Agreed to on question. Programme motion. Agreed to on question. Money resolution. King's recommendation signified. Agreed to on question. Ways and means resolution. Agreed to on question.

I beg to move. That the Bill be now read a Second time.

The Government are using technology to grow the economy and create new jobs in order to empower citizens and deliver a smaller, smarter state, but none of that is possible without data. Successive Governments failed to set out...

I beg to move. That the Bill be now read a Second time.

The Government are using technology to grow the economy and create new jobs in order to empower citizens and deliver a smaller, smarter state, but none of that is possible without data. Successive Governments failed to set out...

The Secretary of State says that successive Governments failed to act, but is it not the case that this Bill is almost identical to the one that the last Conservative Government introduced, which very nearly made it on to the statute book?

The Secretary of State says that successive Governments failed to act, but is it not the case that this Bill is almost identical to the one that the last Conservative Government introduced, which very nearly made it on to the statute book?

I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for pointing that out. Indeed, a lot of this Bill is based on the one that his Government introduced. They called a general election, which halted it in its tracks. We offered to get that Bill through in wash-up, but that was...

I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for pointing that out. Indeed, a lot of this Bill is based on the one that his Government introduced. They called a general election, which halted it in its tracks. We offered to get that Bill through in wash-up, but that was...

Can the Secretary of State outline the benefits that this Bill will have for my constituents in Harlow? I am thinking in particular of residents with multiple prescriptions who struggle to quickly have the data at their fingertips.

Can the Secretary of State outline the benefits that this Bill will have for my constituents in Harlow? I am thinking in particular of residents with multiple prescriptions who struggle to quickly have the data at their fingertips.

My hon. Friend is championing his constituents, and I am pleased to inform him that the Bill will deliver much more streamlined access to the healthcare system, from primary care right the way through to hospitals, where information should flow freely, not just because of the incentives being put in...

My hon. Friend is championing his constituents, and I am pleased to inform him that the Bill will deliver much more streamlined access to the healthcare system, from primary care right the way through to hospitals, where information should flow freely, not just because of the incentives being put in...

Open banking benefits 12 million customers every year by allowing them access to their data. It has been a great success. Does the Secretary of State see that as a model for how citizens can access their data held by the state?

Open banking benefits 12 million customers every year by allowing them access to their data. It has been a great success. Does the Secretary of State see that as a model for how citizens can access their data held by the state?

Smart data underpins the service that the hon. Gentleman refers to. We see boundless opportunities for smart data to be applied in new ways, and the Bill before us will unlock some of those opportunities. I am grateful to him for getting that on the record.

An electronic register of births...

Smart data underpins the service that the hon. Gentleman refers to. We see boundless opportunities for smart data to be applied in new ways, and the Bill before us will unlock some of those opportunities. I am grateful to him for getting that on the record.

An electronic register of births...

Some of my constituents have raised concerns about how their information will be kept safely in the online register of births and deaths. How will the Secretary of State ensure that the Government keep such information safely?

Some of my constituents have raised concerns about how their information will be kept safely in the online register of births and deaths. How will the Secretary of State ensure that the Government keep such information safely?

It is imperative that we reassure people up and down the country that their data will be used safely and wisely, and that they will always remain in control of how their data is used. I can give my hon. Friend those reassurances. The House will notice that this Government...

It is imperative that we reassure people up and down the country that their data will be used safely and wisely, and that they will always remain in control of how their data is used. I can give my hon. Friend those reassurances. The House will notice that this Government...

There is a great deal in this Bill that we can all support, but some difficult concepts lurk within it, as I know the Secretary of State will recognise. He is talking about data transparency. One of the issues of concern is about precisely what we mean by the “scientific...

There is a great deal in this Bill that we can all support, but some difficult concepts lurk within it, as I know the Secretary of State will recognise. He is talking about data transparency. One of the issues of concern is about precisely what we mean by the “scientific...

I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for his informed intervention. I can assure him that we take this issue very seriously. I can also assure him that this is one of the issues on which we will go into considerable depth in Committee, and I am sure that...

I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for his informed intervention. I can assure him that we take this issue very seriously. I can also assure him that this is one of the issues on which we will go into considerable depth in Committee, and I am sure that...

The Secretary of State will be aware that clause 80 removes the existing right of individuals not to be subjected to solely automated decision-making processes unless it involves a category of special data. In practice, this might mean that journalists could have their data processed through ADM, which could pose...

The Secretary of State will be aware that clause 80 removes the existing right of individuals not to be subjected to solely automated decision-making processes unless it involves a category of special data. In practice, this might mean that journalists could have their data processed through ADM, which could pose...

The Bill improves the automated decision-making process, but individual attributes and sectors will be impacted and we will of course take that into consideration in Committee, where I am sure that issue will be raised. I am grateful to my hon. Friend for putting it on record on Second Reading.

Peers...

The Bill improves the automated decision-making process, but individual attributes and sectors will be impacted and we will of course take that into consideration in Committee, where I am sure that issue will be raised. I am grateful to my hon. Friend for putting it on record on Second Reading.

Peers...

rose—

rose—