The previous government signed a contract with Palantir between 31 August 2020 and 31 August 2024 for the development and delivery of a Border Flow Tool. The service was for the provision of data to support decision making for the EU exit transition period, which concluded with the introduction of the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM).

The Licensing Act 2003 provides the legal framework for the sale and supply of alcohol in England and Wales. It is already an offence, under section 141 of the Act, for a person to knowingly sell or attempt to sell alcohol to a person who is drunk or underage, or to allow alcohol to be sold to such a person.

The Government recognises that consumer purchasing habits have evolved in recent years, particularly with a notable growth in alcohol sales made via online platforms and rapid delivery services. The Department for Health and Social Care, which has responsibility for policy on health harms, and the Home Office are looking at how current licensing rules apply to these services to ensure these are effective. This includes seeking the views of experts, those with lived experience and other stakeholders and evaluating emerging evidence on the impact this may be having on people’s health and the upholding of the licensing objectives.

The Department for Transport has not issued specific guidance to developers of navigation or private hire applications but engages with industry and monitors how these technologies are used in practice.

The law is clear; drivers are responsible for maintaining proper control of their vehicle and always paying attention to the road. It is illegal to hold and use a mobile phone or similar device whilst driving, including when a vehicle is stopped in traffic or at traffic lights. Where a driver is distracted or not in proper control of their vehicle, enforcement is an operational matter for the police.

The Government will continue to assess the benefits of such technologies while supporting the development of safer, distraction‑minimising systems.

The Home Office has not issued advice to police forces on the activation of specific facial recognition functions within surveillance software.

The use of facial recognition technology by police forces is an operational matter for chief constables, who are responsible for deciding how and when to deploy capabilities in accordance with the law and relevant guidance.

Police use of facial recognition is governed by a legal framework which includes data protection, equality, human rights laws, national guidance issued by the College of Policing, a surveillance camera code of practice and forces’ own published policies. Their use of the technology must be for a policing purpose and be necessary, proportionate and fair.

The Department for Transport has not issued specific guidance to developers of navigation or private hire applications but engages with industry and monitors how these technologies are used in practice.

The law is clear; drivers are responsible for maintaining proper control of their vehicle and always paying attention to the road. It is illegal to hold and use a mobile phone or similar device whilst driving, including when a vehicle is stopped in traffic or at traffic lights. Where a driver is distracted or not in proper control of their vehicle, enforcement is an operational matter for the police.

The Government will continue to assess the benefits of such technologies while supporting the development of safer, distraction‑minimising systems.

The Department for Transport has not issued specific guidance to developers of navigation or private hire applications but engages with industry and monitors how these technologies are used in practice.

The law is clear; drivers are responsible for maintaining proper control of their vehicle and always paying attention to the road. It is illegal to hold and use a mobile phone or similar device whilst driving, including when a vehicle is stopped in traffic or at traffic lights. Where a driver is distracted or not in proper control of their vehicle, enforcement is an operational matter for the police.

The Government will continue to assess the benefits of such technologies while supporting the development of safer, distraction‑minimising systems.

Protecting children online is a priority for the Secretary of State and this government. That is why we published the ‘Growing up in the Online World’ consultation, accompanied by a National Conversation on 2 March 2026.

The consultation asked for views on children’s use of social media, including questions on screen time and the impact on children’s health. The government published a progress report on the consultation on 15 June, outlining plans to restrict social media services from providing access to under 16s alongside restrictions on functionalities for wider services. Further details will be published in July.

Ofcom also published research in May 2026 of children’s usage of online services after 9 PM, including apps on phones. Ofcom’s research continues to inform the government’s next steps for online safety.

The Government supports a diverse and competitive technology landscape, including open-source software where it offers value, flexibility and resilience. This is outlined in the Technology Code of Practice, which encourages departments to consider the use of open-source solutions alongside proprietary options.

Departments are responsible for their own procurement decisions, in line with established rules and guidance and must secure value for money through fair and open competition. The Government promotes a diverse supplier base and aims to reduce overreliance on individual suppliers where this limits innovation, resilience and value for money.

For the most advanced AI systems, our world-leading AI Security Institute is a centre of UK expertise, advancing our scientific understanding of their capabilities and the associated risks. AISI has already run a large study on backdoor data poisoning, and conducted the largest AI agent red-teaming study to date, identifying tens of thousands of vulnerabilities across sectors including finance, healthcare and customer support. AISI continues to work hand in hand with developers and with the National Cyber Security Centre to make AI protections stronger.

The government has already published a Code of Practice to set the baseline security requirements for AI models and systems, alongside working with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to create a global standard (EN 304 223) that builds on the Code.

This standard is relevant to all organisations and sets out requirements for developers and deployers of AI alongside data custodians. To support organisations, we have contributed to the publication of an implementation guide (TR 104 128) and we are now working to produce a conformity assessment in ETSI (TS 104 216). The government has also recently completed some pilot training workshops with various professions, including small businesses and published the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025-2026 which examined adoption and security approaches by UK organisations to AI. The findings are being used to determine if additional guidance is needed. SMEs should consider this standard when adopting AI-enabled tools and services.

The F-35B is an operationally deployable combat aircraft. Capability is enhanced through regular, incremental software releases delivered through the global F-35 programme, rather than a single combat capable release.

The Member for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire will be aware that the Government is planning an independent strategic review into the use of non-corporate communications channels. This will consider any non-corporate means of communication.

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that issue—it is an important angle on a problem of which we are all aware, but in a slightly different context, given some of the modern features that are available on the devices in our pockets. I will look into it further and pick it up with him in due course.

Particularly for people with a very low body mass index or an eating disorder, the use of app-based fitness classes for hours of ultra-high-intensity exercise every day can lead to addiction. When I wrote to one brand to ask about implementing access limitation tools in its app, it was dismissive. Will the Secretary of State consider reviewing whether such tools could be mandated to support those with eating disorders?

The UK supports the open, responsible, secure and resilient development of technologies globally and the Government takes the security of its data and digital systems very seriously. The Cabinet Office sets the framework for government procurement. All procurement is required to comply with applicable government security frameworks and is subject to robust risk assessments. The National Cyber Security Centre provides expert guidance to support secure procurement and the management of cyber risks from third party suppliers.

UK Biobank is a charity and operationally independent of government. The Government has been working closely with UK Biobank in its response to the data breach which it reported to the Government on 20 April 2026. Measures taken so far have included the suspension of access to their research analysis platform, revocation of access permissions from the institutions involved, rapid removal of the listings from the e-commerce platform, self‑referral to the Information Commissioners Office, and urgent work to introduce technical barriers to prevent download of participant‑level data.

The Ministry of Defence keeps its approach to digital technology, including the selection and use of operating systems on its devices, under continual review and regularly assesses developments in the wider international environment.

Decisions on platforms are based on operational requirements, security, resilience and value for money, and are subject to robust governance and assurance processes.

Defence makes decisions based on its own requirements, while taking account of relevant international developments where appropriate. All technology choices within Defence must comply with strict security and device management policies, ensuring systems can be managed effectively at an enterprise level and meet mandated cyber security standards.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is currently conducting a Strategic Market Status investigation into Microsoft’s business software ecosystem. As part of this investigation, the CMA is considering a range of issues, including software bundling practices, interoperability, licensing arrangements, and their potential impacts on competition, including for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Government has not made a separate assessment of these impacts. It is for the CMA, as the UK’s independent competition authority, to assess the evidence and determine whether any interventions are necessary.

The Government is committed to promoting a competitive and innovative digital economy, which is why we prioritised the commencement of the CMA’s new powers in digital markets last year.

The CMA operates independently of Government, and decisions on the scope of its investigations rest solely with the CMA.

The CMA launched its investigation into Microsoft’s business software ecosystem on 14 May 2026. The CMA has invited views on the details of this investigation until 4 June 2026. The proposed scope includes the integrated use of AI tools in business software to help ensure that UK businesses and public sector organisations can choose the tools that deliver the greatest productivity gains. The CMA will consider responses to its consultation and confirm its position in due course.

This Government is committed to promoting a competitive and innovative digital economy, which is why we prioritised the commencement of the CMA’s new powers in digital markets last year.

The CMA launched its Strategic Market Status designation investigation into Microsoft’s business software ecosystem on the 14 May 2026, this investigation must be completed within 9 months. An indicative timetable of this investigation is published on the CMA’s website. The CMA operates independently of Government, and decisions on which firms to investigate, and how these investigations are conducted rest solely with the CMA.

DSIT has not formally reviewed the SPA24 Memorandum of Understanding with Microsoft. This agreement does not represent a commitment to spend, but instead provides eligible public sector organisations with access to discounted pricing. Decisions on whether to purchase goods and services are made by individual organisations in line with procurement regulations.

The Government Commercial Agency (GCA), formerly Crown Commercial Service (CCS), manages SPA24 with Microsoft to ensure that it continues to deliver against its objectives.

The government has worked closely with the software industry to ensure the availability of a broad range of MTD-compatible products to suit different needs and budgets.

This includes free products supporting those with the simplest affairs, low-cost bridging software for those who prefer to continue using spreadsheets and more sophisticated products that integrate with other business software.

Currently, there are more than 20 free products (excluding free trials) covering a range of different scenarios including bookkeeping, quarterly updates and end-of-year submissions.

HMRC is not providing its own MTD solution because commercial software providers are able to provide a broad range of products to meet the differing needs of businesses and landlords, in a way that HMRC is not.

In line with our commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are continuing to develop a dedicated ‘My Vaccines’ tool in the NHS App. This will provide people with their and their children’s personal vaccination history and eligibility as well as the ability to book services and to receive reminder notifications in one place. In December 2025, we commenced a private beta of My Vaccines for the RSV vaccination programme which includes over 300,000 users. Moving forward, the ambition is for ‘My Vaccines’ users to have access to information for all NHS vaccinations, including children’s vaccination programmes. Vaccination records are or will only be shown in the NHS App when they are recorded in the general practice (GP) record and the GP has enabled both detailed record sharing and proxy access.

School Aged Immunisation Service (SAIS) providers are the data controllers for SAIS vaccination records. Therefore, neither the Department nor NHS England currently assess the adequacy of SAIS vaccination records that flow to the GP record, and therefore potentially into the NHS App. With the expansion of the Manage a Vaccination In School (MAVIS) digital tool across SAIS providers, we are improving the accuracy and quality of SAIS vaccination records. For ‘My Vaccines’ in the NHS App, NHS England has received zero complaints and 110 enquiries. From those we have had two reported issues regarding missing or incomplete vaccination records. Vaccination Digital Services did not hold information centrally prior to the development of My Vaccines.

For school-age immunisation providers using the MAVIS system, all vaccinations are automatically sent to GP records overnight, including human papilloma virus (HPV), MenACWY protecting against meningococcal strains, Td/IPV protecting against tetanus, diphtheria and polio, school-age flu, and catch-up doses to protect against measles, mumps and rubella. For providers not using MAVIS, HPV and school-age flu vaccinations are sent to GP records via NHS England. The service level agreement for reporting to GPs is 48 hours for both school aged flu and HPV.

As My Vaccines is only at private beta stage for the RSV vaccination programme as described above, the proportion of school-age vaccinations visible in the NHS App will be limited for the time being until My Vaccines is rolled out more fully.

In line with our commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are continuing to develop a dedicated ‘My Vaccines’ tool in the NHS App. This will provide people with their and their children’s personal vaccination history and eligibility as well as the ability to book services and to receive reminder notifications in one place. In December 2025, we commenced a private beta of My Vaccines for the RSV vaccination programme which includes over 300,000 users. Moving forward, the ambition is for ‘My Vaccines’ users to have access to information for all NHS vaccinations, including children’s vaccination programmes. Vaccination records are or will only be shown in the NHS App when they are recorded in the general practice (GP) record and the GP has enabled both detailed record sharing and proxy access.

School Aged Immunisation Service (SAIS) providers are the data controllers for SAIS vaccination records. Therefore, neither the Department nor NHS England currently assess the adequacy of SAIS vaccination records that flow to the GP record, and therefore potentially into the NHS App. With the expansion of the Manage a Vaccination In School (MAVIS) digital tool across SAIS providers, we are improving the accuracy and quality of SAIS vaccination records. For ‘My Vaccines’ in the NHS App, NHS England has received zero complaints and 110 enquiries. From those we have had two reported issues regarding missing or incomplete vaccination records. Vaccination Digital Services did not hold information centrally prior to the development of My Vaccines.

For school-age immunisation providers using the MAVIS system, all vaccinations are automatically sent to GP records overnight, including human papilloma virus (HPV), MenACWY protecting against meningococcal strains, Td/IPV protecting against tetanus, diphtheria and polio, school-age flu, and catch-up doses to protect against measles, mumps and rubella. For providers not using MAVIS, HPV and school-age flu vaccinations are sent to GP records via NHS England. The service level agreement for reporting to GPs is 48 hours for both school aged flu and HPV.

As My Vaccines is only at private beta stage for the RSV vaccination programme as described above, the proportion of school-age vaccinations visible in the NHS App will be limited for the time being until My Vaccines is rolled out more fully.

In line with our commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are continuing to develop a dedicated ‘My Vaccines’ tool in the NHS App. This will provide people with their and their children’s personal vaccination history and eligibility as well as the ability to book services and to receive reminder notifications in one place. In December 2025, we commenced a private beta of My Vaccines for the RSV vaccination programme which includes over 300,000 users. Moving forward, the ambition is for ‘My Vaccines’ users to have access to information for all NHS vaccinations, including children’s vaccination programmes. Vaccination records are or will only be shown in the NHS App when they are recorded in the general practice (GP) record and the GP has enabled both detailed record sharing and proxy access.

School Aged Immunisation Service (SAIS) providers are the data controllers for SAIS vaccination records. Therefore, neither the Department nor NHS England currently assess the adequacy of SAIS vaccination records that flow to the GP record, and therefore potentially into the NHS App. With the expansion of the Manage a Vaccination In School (MAVIS) digital tool across SAIS providers, we are improving the accuracy and quality of SAIS vaccination records. For ‘My Vaccines’ in the NHS App, NHS England has received zero complaints and 110 enquiries. From those we have had two reported issues regarding missing or incomplete vaccination records. Vaccination Digital Services did not hold information centrally prior to the development of My Vaccines.

For school-age immunisation providers using the MAVIS system, all vaccinations are automatically sent to GP records overnight, including human papilloma virus (HPV), MenACWY protecting against meningococcal strains, Td/IPV protecting against tetanus, diphtheria and polio, school-age flu, and catch-up doses to protect against measles, mumps and rubella. For providers not using MAVIS, HPV and school-age flu vaccinations are sent to GP records via NHS England. The service level agreement for reporting to GPs is 48 hours for both school aged flu and HPV.

As My Vaccines is only at private beta stage for the RSV vaccination programme as described above, the proportion of school-age vaccinations visible in the NHS App will be limited for the time being until My Vaccines is rolled out more fully.

My Department is working with the Northern Ireland Government on the transposition of the new Product Liability Directive, which will include working with them to consider whether guidance may potentially be helpful to businesses in understanding the new product liability framework. However, it should be noted that the Directive does not impose any additional rules on businesses governing which products may be placed on the EU or Northern Ireland markets, or the safety requirements they must meet.

UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) has been established to harness UK ingenuity and boost military technology, as part of the Government’s drive to turbocharge innovation in defence and deliver growth as part of the Plan for Change.

UKDI will be fully operational by July 2026 and will have a ringfenced budget of at least £400 million from financial year 2025-26 with the ambition for this to rise as UKDI becomes established.

The Ministry of Defence works closely with UK industry and academia, including Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SME), to identify and invest in innovative technologies that address our most pressing capability challenges. This includes businesses specialising in software, artificial intelligence, and data analytics.

The Department recognises that software firms are increasingly vital to defence research and development, providing specialised expertise and innovation in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and data analytics. While traditional prime contractors continue to play a key role in large-scale system integration and delivery, software companies complement this by accelerating technological advancement and agility.

The proposition for the Great British Railways retail app and website is still being developed. We expect to launch the tender process in the coming months once the final proposition is confirmed.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has taken significant strides in our approach to defence procurement since 2024, as laid out in both the Defence Industrial Strategy and in a recent Gov.UK notice titled “Ministry of Defence small and medium-sized enterprise engagement”.

The establishment of UK Defence Innovation in 2025, as well as the continued efforts of Commercial X including the new Defence Unicorn Fund from earlier this year, are helping our Armed Forces obtain innovative, ground-breaking technologies faster, speeding up procurement cycles, and simplifying terms & conditions where needed. This includes working with non-traditional players in areas such as software, AI, and data analytics.

Potential suppliers are also welcome to join the Defence Sourcing Portal, the Neutral Vendor Framework, the Dynamic Marketplace, and the Defence Innovation Marketplace, as appropriate, as a means to promote their services to the MOD.

No specific guidance has been issued centrally from the Cabinet Office to special advisers on using Google Docs.

The department’s consultation on assistive software funded through Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) seeks to gather evidence on how best to modernise the support provided to take into account the huge advances in technology over recent years. As part of this, the consultation explores how the widespread availability of built‑in and free-to-access accessibility tools can meet some students’ needs without the use of specific specialist software products funded through DSA. The proposals in the consultation envisage that assistive software will continue to be funded through DSA where there is an additional disability-related need for it that cannot be met by any other software available to the student free of charge.

No policy decisions have yet been made. The consultation remains live until 18 June, and responses will inform final policy decisions following the consultation.

The National Parking Platform was launched in 2021 and is live now. Each Local Authority will make its own decision on whether, and when, to sign up and implement the service in its area. We are encouraging local transport authorities in England to support roll out of the platform.

My Lords, the decision to provide banking services is largely a commercial one. Banks have strict obligations to ensure the legitimacy of a new customer and to protect against financial crime, and all new customers opening an account must be subject to due diligence under the money laundering regulations. The regulations are not prescriptive about how this should be done. The FCA expects banks to treat customers fairly and to take a proportionate approach commensurate with their assessment of the risk.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how online challenger banks assess and process new applications for accounts.

I am grateful to the noble Lord for his question and for our brief conversation last week about some of the issues he has experienced. He will be aware that many of the issues he raises are ultimately commercial decisions for individual financial institutions, and how they choose to communicate with their customers and potential customers are largely decisions for themselves. He will know that, where a bank decides not to allow an account, it can disclose why it has made that decision, but it is not generally required to do so or to provide detailed reasons. In some cases, banks are legally constrained in what they can or are able to say. I think the noble Lord is interested in the use of AI in some of these decisions. The FCA is clear that automation does not remove a firm’s responsibility; it must retain effective oversight of automated decisions and ensure that decisions are fair and made in accordance with regulatory requirements.

But, as I say, the decision about how and whether to communicate that is largely a commercial one for the individual financial institution.

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that Answer. I welcome the support and the need for regulation of new challenger banks—and all banks—but, in my career of delivering public services with innovation, I have noticed the need to balance innovation with fairness. From personal experience, and more from what I have heard from a great many members of the public, this balance does not seem to be right at the moment in a sector that I really feel we want to champion: fintechs and challenger banks. So does the Minister feel that the balance between the innovation and the growth we are looking to see is right, when we see services providing no explanation or opportunity for engagement when making decisions such as offering banking services, especially as we are now looking at an era of digital assets and agentic banking, where we would like to see fairer digital services for all?

I thought I was going to be able to agree with everything the noble and gallant Lord said—right up until the last sentence. I agree with 99% of his question, and I absolutely agree that access to finance for defence firms is incredibly important. The instances that he cites are troubling, and I share his concerns about them. Access to finance is a significant issue for defence firms, particularly SMEs. No company should ever be denied access to financial services solely on the basis that it works in the defence sector, and the banking sector should never take a blanket approach to any one sector. The Government are actively engaging with banks to ensure that they understand the importance of the defence sector and the FCA’s work to understand why banks might close or reject accounts. Where it has found areas in which firms need to improve customer outcomes, the Government expect firms to consider the FCA’s findings.

My Lords, has the Minister seen reports that members of defence companies are being refused accounts with challenger banks? The whole issue of de-banking, the difficulty that defence companies are having in finding suitable accommodation to rent, and the removal, with the assistance of the Edinburgh Council, of Leonardo’s recruiting advertisements from the city’s trams are all surely indications that ESG concerns are being used for overtly political purposes. Is this not yet another baleful consequence of the Government’s failure to lead a national conversation on defence, which they themselves admitted was so badly required?

I agree in large part with what the noble Baroness says. As she will know, as part of the small business strategy, the Government have introduced a range of measures to remove barriers to accessing finance for SMEs. She will know, too, that access to banking services is vital for businesses across the UK. While provision of financial services to companies is largely a commercial matter, the Government of course believe that all customers should be treated fairly.

On access to banking for consumers and banking hubs, we have set out an ambition to have 350 banking hubs. Cash Access UK will deploy a banking hub wherever the industry co-ordinating body responsible suggests that one is appropriate.

My Lords, does the Minister find, as I have done, in conversations perhaps not dissimilar to those with the noble Lord, Lord Ranger, that the challenger banks and fintechs are largely serving the same group—although perhaps more efficiently—that is served by the high street banks? Therefore, will he look much more seriously at the potential not just of banking hubs but of community development financial institutions and a way to combine them, so that small businesses can finally get access to the loans and services they need and that individuals who remain excluded finally have access to the banking sector?

The noble Lord will know that the money laundering regulations rightly mean that, for new customers opening an account, banks are required to take due diligence measures to verify the customers’ identity, assess the intended purpose of the account and flag any suspicious transactions to law enforcement. The regulations are not prescriptive in setting out specific steps that banks should undertake to satisfy customer due diligence, but instead require them to take a proportionate approach, which I think is what the noble Lord is asking for. Each bank will therefore have its own policies and procedures, and those policies should be informed by each bank’s own assessment of the risk faced by its services and customers, based on sources such as the national risk assessment of money laundering and terrorist financing.

My Lords, during my time as a trade envoy to Rwanda and Uganda, I noticed first hand that UK businesses could open a bank account in those countries in less than five minutes, but it will take three months, if they are lucky, to open a bank account here. The Minister mentioned that it is a commercial decision, but is heavily legislated for through the Bribery Act, the money laundering Act and many others. Can the Minister please look into this, particularly for SMEs that are starting new businesses and are having real difficulty opening a bank account?

Yes, they would be required to do so.