Written questions by Mak.

Innovation and Technology, whether trade unions were consulted on the AI Opportunities Action Plan.

The AI Opportunities Action Plan sets out how we will achieve our ambitions by laying the foundations for AI growth, driving adoption and building UK capability at the frontier.The Action Plan has been informed by a series of external roundtables and wide engagement with experts from across the AI ecosystem. These discussions covered key areas such as the collaboration between the public and private sectors to create a robust AI ecosystem and to unmask the potential economic impact of AI technologies.DSIT ministers recently met with the Assistant General Secretary of the Trade Unions Congress to discuss the AI Action Plan. As the Government takes the Plan forward, it will continue to engage widely with stakeholders, including trade unions, to ensure its implementation.

Innovation and Technology, whether additional funding was allocated to his Department for the AI Opportunities Action Plan.

AI is advancing at an extraordinary pace, and its benefits extend far beyond economic growth. By investing in AI now, we are ensuring that the UK is prepared to harness its transformative potential.The government invests in AI in several ways, including through investing in the UK’s compute capacity, the latest research and innovations, and upskilling the workforce with AI skills.The recently announced AI Opportunities Action Plan, which was developed by Matt Clifford, is fully funded under the current Spending Review. We have already funded parts of the AI Action Plan through Spending Review Round One, including compute, R&D, and sovereign AI commitments. Departments are working through the policy details, which will be integrated into future spending plans as part of the spending review process.As we approach the 2025 Spending Review, we will outline the next steps to ensure these commitments continue driving progress, but it would not be appropriate to speculate on spending review decisions.