Written questions by Hussain.

Innovation and Technology, how much funding has been allocated to research and development projects led by organisations based in Bradford in each of the last three financial years.

During the financial years 2022/23 to 2024/25, UK Research and Innovation made £9.6 million in grant awards to organisations in Bradford. This is broken down by financial year as follows:Financial YearCommitted funding2022/23£4,492,5422023/24£1,309,2392024/25£3,826,899Total£9,628,680Not all UKRI funding investments are captured in the figures provided due to data unavailability.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support research and innovation partnerships involving local authorities and combined authorities.

As we set out in the English Devolution White Paper, the government will work in partnership with local leaders, businesses and universities to unlock the innovation potential of places across the UK – ensuring that everyone benefits from innovation-led growth that will create the jobs of the future.To achieve this, we are building stronger connections with strategic authorities to empower local decision-making. Our new Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, backed by up to £500 million, is enabling local leaders to work in partnership with UKRI to grow high potential innovation clusters and create jobs aligned to local strengths.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of barriers faced by local authorities in accessing innovation and research funding.

As we set out in the English Devolution White Paper, the government will work in partnership with local leaders, businesses and universities to unlock the innovation potential of places across the UK – ensuring that everyone benefits from innovation-led growth that will create the jobs of the future.To achieve this, we are building stronger connections with strategic authorities to empower local decision-making. Our new Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, backed by up to £500 million, is enabling local leaders to work in partnership with UKRI to grow high potential innovation clusters and create jobs aligned to local strengths.

Innovation and Technology, how much UK Research and Innovation funding has been awarded to organisations based in West Yorkshire in each of the last three financial years.

During the financial years 2021/22 to 2023/24, UK Research and Innovation invested £723 million in grant awards to organisations in West Yorkshire. This is broken down by financial year as follows:Financial YearUKRI Investment 2021/22£227m2022/23£260m2023/24£236mTotal£723m

Innovation and Technology, how much Innovate UK funding has been awarded to organisations based in Bradford in each of the last three financial years.

Innovate UK’s grant funding database shows that during the most recent three full financial years, Innovate UK offered £4.97 million in grant awards to organisations registered in the Bradford local authority area. This is broken down by financial year as follows: Financial yearCommitted funding2022/23£1,983,6722023/24£1,854,6102024/25£1,131,953Total£4,970,234

Innovation and Technology, what (a) formula and (b) criteria is used by UK Research and Innovation to determine the distribution of Horizon Europe funding; and how much funding has been allocated to (i) institutions and (ii) organisations in (A) Bradford and (B) West Yorkshire since the programme began.

The UK is an Associated Country to Horizon Europe. UK applicants are eligible to apply to Horizon Europe calls both now and in the future. The Government strongly encourages researchers to do so.Horizon Europe funding calls are set by the EU, who then evaluate applications and award funding accordingly. As Horizon Europe is a competitive fund, UK entities bid into the programme directly.As a result of the UK’s association to Horizon Europe, institutions and organisations in Bradford and West Yorkshire have been awarded €10 million and €74 million, respectively, as of 13 June 2025. These figures include funding from the UK Government’s Horizon Europe Guarantee Scheme.

Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to increase (a) core funding and (b) grant opportunities for universities in the north of England conducting AI and data science research as part of its strategy to support regional growth.

The government has committed to invest more than £86 billion on research and innovation over financial years 26/27-29/30, supporting the UK’s scientific excellence and its full economic potential around the country, including in areas such as AI and data science. This funding will support the UK’s top scientists and innovators in business, universities and R&D organisations. DSIT will share further details of how its £58.5bn settlement over the Spending Review period will be invested once multi-year business planning allocations conclude this Autumn.

Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to take steps to improve (a) knowledge transfer and (b) applied AI research through regional university-business partnerships.

Government is investing up to £500 million in the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, a new programme to grow high potential innovation clusters across the UK. This will empower local partnerships of government, universities and businesses to decide how to target R&D investment in their region and unleash their full innovation potential. Alongside this, UKRI continues to support knowledge transfer and AI adoption through consortia of universities and local businesses across the UK. Investments such as the AI research hubs, AI centres for doctoral training and flagship BridgeAI programme are already catalysing local partnerships and driving local innovation and prosperity.

Innovation and Technology, what recent steps his Department has taken to strengthen collaboration between (a) higher education institutions and (b) local SMEs in the field of AI research and commercialisation in West Yorkshire.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) plays a crucial role incentivising collaboration and knowledge exchange between universities and other sectors and has supported numerous high-impact collaborations in artificial intelligence. For example, Higher Education Innovation Funding supports engagement with the space industry through the University of Bradford’s Bradford-Renduchintala Centre for Space AI.UKRI also supports partnerships between universities and businesses through opportunities like Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and consortia investments such as the AI research hubs, AI centres for doctoral training and the flagship BridgeAI programme, catalysing local partnerships and driving local innovation and prosperity.The AI Action Plan emphasises building a robust AI ecosystem that supports research, skills development, and business engagement, and at Spending Review £2 billion was allocated to implement the Action Plan.

Innovation and Technology, what plans his Department has to support university-led innovation programmes that boost (a) AI capacity and (b) research and development activity activity in partnership with local businesses in (i) West Yorkshire and (ii) other regional economies.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) plays a crucial role incentivising collaboration and knowledge exchange between universities and other sectors and has supported numerous high-impact collaborations in artificial intelligence. For example, Higher Education Innovation Funding supports engagement with the space industry through the University of Bradford’s Bradford-Renduchintala Centre for Space AI.UKRI also supports partnerships between universities and businesses through opportunities like Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and consortia investments such as the AI research hubs, AI centres for doctoral training and the flagship BridgeAI programme, catalysing local partnerships and driving local innovation and prosperity.The AI Action Plan emphasises building a robust AI ecosystem that supports research, skills development, and business engagement, and at Spending Review £2 billion was allocated to implement the Action Plan.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of advanced AI systems on (a) recruitment, (b) performance management and (c) other employment practices; and whether his Department is considering safeguards to reduce this impact.

We are already witnessing AI’s impact within the labour market. We are working to harness the benefits that AI can bring – such as productivity gains, rising living standards, and improved worker wellbeing; while mitigating the risks. DSIT has developed guidance for industry on the responsible adoption of AI in recruitment processes, utilising AI assurance techniques.The Get Britain Working White Paper from DWP, HMT and DfE also sets out how government will address key labour market challenges. We will continue to work closely with these and other government departments through the AI Opportunities Action Plan on this rapidly developing area.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has considered including transparency and public accountability requirements as part of any regulatory model for advanced artificial intelligence systems.

The government is clear in its ambition to bring forward legislation which allows us to safely realise the enormous benefits and opportunities of the most powerful AI systems for years to come.These proposals will be highly targeted, will build on the voluntary commitments already secured at the Seoul and Bletchley AI Safety Summits, and will be designed to be future-proofed and effective against this fast-evolving technology.The government is continuing to refine its proposals, which will incentivise innovation and investment, and will launch a public consultation in due course.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of granting regulatory powers to the UK Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute; and whether such powers could include oversight of frontier AI models, safety testing, and enforcement mechanisms.

The government is clear in its ambition to bring forward legislation which allows us to safely realise the enormous benefits and opportunities of the most powerful AI systems for years to come. The government is continuing to refine its proposals and will launch a public consultation in due course.As part of its plans to boost AI security, the government is committed to supporting and growing the AI Security Institute.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the potential for artificial intelligence policy to support inclusive economic growth and safeguard good work.

AI is at the heart of the Government’s plans to kickstart economic growth and improve public services.Earlier this year the Prime Minister announced the AI Opportunities Action Plan - a roadmap setting out how we will achieve our AI ambitions by laying the foundations for AI growth, driving adoption and building UK capability at the frontier.The Secretary of State has had discussions with Cabinet ministers, including with the Secretary of State for the Department for Business and Trade, regarding how the Government can maximise the potential of AI.