Written questions by Chambers.

What role AI-based mental health tools are expected to have within NHS mental health services.

The Government is clear that artificial intelligence (AI) based mental health tools are intended to support and complement, not replace, National Health Service mental health services.Within NHS mental health services, AI based tools are expected to play a supporting role, for example by helping with administrative tasks such as appointment management, triage support, and updating clinical records, enabling clinicians to spend more time delivering direct, person‑centred care. AI may also support evidence‑based digital interventions, such as digitally enabled therapies, where these are clinically appropriate and have been properly evaluated.The Government is clear that AI based tools must not replace access to trained mental health professionals, particularly for people experiencing acute distress. Publicly available AI applications that are not deployed by the NHS, such as ChatGPT or Google Gemini, are not regulated as medical technologies and may offer incorrect or harmful information, and people experiencing mental health difficulties are strongly encouraged to seek support from qualified professionals through NHS services or trusted charities.

Whether he plans to take steps to ensure that AI-based mental health tools do not replace access to human-delivered psychological support where this is clinically appropriate.

The Government is clear that artificial intelligence (AI) based tools must not replace access to human‑delivered psychological support where this is clinically appropriate.Digital and AI tools can be used to support mental health services and those in need of those services, for example by helping with administrative tasks, triage, or appointment management, and these benefits can enable clinicians to spend more time delivering direct care. However, decisions about treatment and care must always be clinically led and based on individual patient need.Publicly available AI applications that are not deployed by the National Health Service, such as ChatGPT or Google Gemini, are not regulated as medical technologies and may offer incorrect or harmful information. People experiencing mental health difficulties are strongly encouraged to seek support from qualified professionals through NHS services or trusted charities.Spending across mental health services, both specialised commissioning and ICB combined, and including learning disability, autism, and dementia, is planned to increase to £20.616 billion in 2025/26, compared to £18.988 billion in 2024/25. Specific funding has also been allocated to expand mental health support in schools to 100% of institutions by 2029/30.

What steps he is taking to improve accessibility to tofersen.

The Government recognises how important it is that patients with motor neurone disease are able to benefit from access to new clinically and cost-effective treatments. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently evaluating tofersen, a new licensed treatment for SOD-1 motor neurone disease, and the company is expected to make an evidence submission to support the appraisal in early June 2026.NHS England will explore whether an interim commercial agreement could be supported through the Innovative Medicines Fund should NICE issue a positive draft recommendation for tofersen. This would enable eligible patients to benefit from the treatment several months earlier than would otherwise be the case.

What recent estimate he has made of the level of decrease in graduate job levels due to artificial intelligence.

This Government is committed to growth, and a key pillar of this is ensuring that everyone, including graduates, have access to good, meaningful work. As part of our ongoing assessment of labour market trends, we note that job vacancies have declined from 1.3 million in 2022 to 726,000 as the economy continues to adjust post‑pandemic. While some have suggested that increased adoption of AI may be contributing to this fall, current evidence is mixed and does not yet establish a clear causal link. Most forecasters continue to project that artificial intelligence will lead to a net increase in employment overall, though its impacts will vary across industries and occupations. To ensure graduates and the wider workforce can benefit from these opportunities, the Government has established the AI and Future of Work Unit to monitor emerging trends and coordinate policy responses across departments. We are investing in practical AI skills training for adults and expanding partnerships to upskill 10 million workers. Our Youth Guarantee is working to ensure that all young people have access to education, training or help to find a job or apprenticeship, including graduates, and backed by an addition £820 million at the autumn budget.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of AI on graduate job opportunities.

This Government is committed to growth, and a key pillar of this is ensuring that everyone, including graduates, have access to good, meaningful work. As part of our ongoing assessment of labour market trends, we note that job vacancies have declined from 1.3 million in 2022 to 726,000 as the economy continues to adjust post‑pandemic. While some have suggested that increased adoption of AI may be contributing to this fall, current evidence is mixed and does not yet establish a clear causal link. Most forecasters continue to project that artificial intelligence will lead to a net increase in employment overall, though its impacts will vary across industries and occupations. To ensure graduates and the wider workforce can benefit from these opportunities, the Government has established the AI and Future of Work Unit to monitor emerging trends and coordinate policy responses across departments. We are investing in practical AI skills training for adults and expanding partnerships to upskill 10 million workers. Our Youth Guarantee is working to ensure that all young people have access to education, training or help to find a job or apprenticeship, including graduates, and backed by an addition £820 million at the autumn budget.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the current waiting times for the Housing Ombudsman.

The average waiting time for a case to be determined by the Housing Ombudsman in 2025/26 was 7.2 months.The Ombudsman is currently consulting on their 2026/27 Business Plan, which proposes a series of measures to reduce waiting times for tenants.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the planned closure of Army Training Regiment Winchester on Army Phase 1 training capacity.

There is no projected impact to Army Basic Training capacity due to the closure of Army Training Regiment Winchester.

Whether her Department is taking to help prevent films that have had their audiovisual material created by generative AI applications from claiming the AVEC and IFTC tax credits.

Details on the eligibility criteria for the Audio Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC) and Independent Film Tax Credit (IFTC) can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-audio-visual-expenditure-credits-for-corporation-tax. The Government continues to monitor the use of AI in film production and keeps the tax system under constant review.

Whether a film can qualify for the AVEC and IFTC tax credits if all other eligible criteria is met but all the images and audio were created by AI.

Details on the eligibility criteria for the Audio Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC) and Independent Film Tax Credit (IFTC) can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-audio-visual-expenditure-credits-for-corporation-tax. The Government continues to monitor the use of AI in film production and keeps the tax system under constant review.

What assessment she has made of the benefits of updating the Education Act 1944 with regard to distance thresholds for school transport.

The government is committed to creating opportunities for all children so that they can achieve and thrive. The department’s home-to-school travel policy aims to make sure that no child is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport.The eligibility criteria are set out in the Education Act 1996 and were amended by the Education and Inspections Act 2006. Whilst the statutory walking distances have been in place since the 1940s, children within walking distance can now also have free travel if they cannot walk to school because of their special educational needs, disability or mobility problem, or because the route is unsafe. Extended rights to home to school travel now support school choice for children from low-income families where the cost of transport may otherwise be a barrier. We do not currently have any plans to change the existing statutory framework for home to school travel.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the UK's artificial intelligence regulation.

AI is a general-purpose technology with a wide range of applications, which is why the UK believes that the vast majority of AI systems should be regulated at the point of use. In response to the AI Opportunities Action Plan, the Government committed to work with regulators to boost their capabilities.This is complemented by the work of the AI Security Institute which has deepened our understanding of the critical security risks posed by frontier.The Government will act where evidence shows further measures are needed. New offences in the Crime and Policing Bill will criminalise AI tools designed to generate child sexual abuse material. The Secretary of State has also confirmed that the Government is examining how emerging AI services, such as chatbots, interact with the Online Safety Act, and what further measures may be required. The Government remains committed to ensuring the UK is prepared for the changes AI will bring.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential risk of the widespread use of artificial intelligence systems on children.

The Government takes the safety of children extremely seriously. We recognise the potential risks that AI systems pose, and that is why strong protections already apply. Under the Online Safety Act, in-scope AI services must assess the risk of harm to users from illegal content on their services and implement measures to manage and mitigate this risk. Where services are likely to be accessed by children, they will be required to take action to protect them from harmful content. In‑scope AI services must assess and mitigate the risk of illegal content, including AI‑generated material.Government has been clear that it will continue to take further action where required. We have introduced new offences in the Crime and Policing Bill to criminalise AI tools designed to generate child sexual abuse material. Additionally, the Secretary of State has confirmed in Parliament that the government is exploring how emerging services, such as AI chatbots, interact with the Online Safety Act and what further measures may be required.

How his Department calculated the cost of additional spending on medicines over the spending review period.

In relation to the recently announced plans to increase the standard cost-effectiveness threshold used by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), costs will start smaller but will increase over time as NICE approves more life improving and life-saving medicines. Total costs over the Spending Review period are expected to be approximately £1 billion. The final costs will depend on which medicines NICE recommends and the actual uptake of these.We have no plans to publish an impact assessment or details of the modelling which led to this estimated figure. This deal is a vital investment that builds on the strength of our National Health Service and world leading life sciences without taking essential funding from our frontline NHS services.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with the US ambassador on the potential summoning of Jonathan Benger.

Ministers, officials and executives from a wide range of UK departments and agencies are in regular dialogue with US interlocutors on an equally wide range of issues. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not hold records of all such discussions.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department instructed Jonathan Benger to meet with the United States Ambassador.

Ministers, officials and executives from a wide range of UK departments and agencies are in regular dialogue with US interlocutors on an equally wide range of issues. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not hold records of all such discussions.

Whether he plans to develop a national infection strategy.

The Government already has evidence-based policies in place to embed system-wide infection prevention and control measures to mitigate the impact of infection.For example, the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM) for England provides guidance on infection control for National Health Service healthcare staff of all disciplines in all care settings. The NIPCM, last updated in July 2025, is a live document that is updated in line with new evidence and lessons learned. More broadly, the UK 5-year action plan for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) 2024 to 2029 contains targets and commitments to address rises in both infection and in antimicrobial prescribing that could arise as a consequence of infection. Further information on the UK 5-year action plan for AMR is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-5-year-action-plan-for-antimicrobial-resistance-2024-to-2029

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on adding chalk streams to the list of irreplaceable habitats in the National Planning Policy Framework.

Chalk streams are a large source of national pride. As one of Britain’s most nature-rich habitats, they support some of our rarest wildlife. During the passage of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill last year, the Government committed to consulting on National Planning Policy Framework to give explicit recognition to chalk streams in the new suite of planning policies for decision making and seek to ensure that chalk streams are explicitly recognised as features of high environmental value. Also, Local Nature Recovery Strategies statutory guidance will be amended to encourage chalk streams to feature prominently. The Government has has also set out clearer expectations for development proposals to assess and mitigate adverse impacts to water quality on these sensitive waterbodies. The consultation on changes to the NPPF is available here: National Planning Policy Framework: proposed reforms and other changes to the planning system - GOV.UK and will remain open for responses until 10th March 2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether mandatory testing of seized illegal meat imports includes testing for infectious agents such as foot-and-mouth disease, African swine fever, and antimicrobial resistance genes.

Defra does not test seized illegal meat imports for infectious agents. Border Force and local authorities seize illegal meat imports, which must be safely disposed of in accordance with animal by-products rules.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking to support the sovereignty of NATO allies.

The UK is steadfast in its commitment to NATO. For over 75 years, NATO has kept us safe, prosperous and united.Last week, the Foreign Secretary visited the Arctic Circle, where she emphasised that Arctic security is a critical transatlantic partnership issue for the security of the UK and NATO, and that we will tackle this emerging threat as an alliance.We are committed to upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of borders.Europeans continue to take greater responsibility for their own security, including through historic increases in defence spending.

Innovation and Technology, what recent progress her Department has made on introducing an artificial intelligence bill; what timetable has been set for its publication; and what interim regulatory steps are being taken to help tackle risks relating to artificial intelligence.

The government does not speculate on legislation ahead of future parliamentary sessions.A range of existing rules already apply to Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, such as data protection, competition, equality legislation and other forms of sectoral regulation.AI is a general-purpose technology with a wide range of applications, which is why the UK believes that the vast majority of AI systems should be regulated at the point of use. In response to the AI Action Plan, the Government committed to work with regulators to boost their capabilities.This is complemented by the work of the AI Security Institute which has deepened our understanding of the critical security risks posed by frontier.However, the government will not hesitate to act where evidence suggests that further action is necessary.On 3 December 2025, the DSIT Secretary of State confirmed in Parliament that the government is exploring how emerging services, such as AI chatbots, interact with the Online Safety Act and what further measures may be required. Further to this, we are signing the commencement order to urgently bring powers to criminalise the creation of intimate images without consent into force.We will also legislate to criminalise nudification apps. This new criminal offence will make it illegal for companies to supply tools specifically designed to create non-consensual intimate images.The government remains committed to ensuring the UK is prepared for the changes AI will bring.