Written questions by Hayes.

For what purposes HM Revenue and Customs has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

As a department, over the last 12 months, HMRC has made use of more ‘traditional’ AI techniques to improve operations and drive productivity. HMRC’s current applications of the technology can be divided broadly into supporting compliance, customer service and wider operations: In compliance, HMRC uses tools to predict debt risk and likelihood to pay, identifying the customers we need to give more support to. HMRC uses predictive analytics to identify taxpayers most likely to be non-compliant and document analysis to identify cases of potential fraud. All tools maintain a ‘human in the loop’ to take decisions.In customer services, HMRC uses machine learning techniques to understand, categorise and search customer contact data for identifying sentiment and satisfaction rates. HMRC also use these tools to categorise and group feedback which it can use to improve customer journeys and improve services.In its wider operations, HMRC uses machine learning tools to route inbound correspondence to the right teams and summarise and categorise consultation responses. HMRC also uses recommender systems to identify the most appropriate next action for debt recovery and management and using image detection tools to identify websites making fraudulent use of the HMRC logo.

For what purposes HM Courts and Tribunals Service has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.Work to date has involved early-stage testing of solutions including productivity tools like Microsoft Co-pilot, intelligent document processing, knowledge management and transcription, to help our staff operate effectively and efficiently. However, we currently have no live AI systems in use across our operations and front-line services.A small number of staff are trialling the use of Microsoft 365 Co-pilot as part of a Ministry of Justice wide pilot, looking to reduce time spent on repetitive tasks.HMCTS can draw on a range of resources, published on GOV.UK, to inform AI usage. For example, the Generative AI Ethics Framework, the Ethics, Transparency and Accountability Framework, the Data Ethics Framework, the AI Opportunities Action Plan and the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard.

For what purposes the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

MCA are using Microsoft 365 Copilot, which is a Generative AI tool for productivity. This tool is being trialled by a selected number of users. Copilot has been used to undertake tasks such as summarising documents, minute taking, report writing and document comparisons. AI is not currently in use within the MCA systems or for any citizen services.

Innovation and Technology, for what purposes the UK Space Agency has used AI in the last 12 months.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country. As part of a government-wide trial run by the Government Digital Service, the UK Space Agency has access to the Microsoft Copilot AI tool. This capability has been used to support internal-facing information exploitation activity such as generating minutes for meetings, creating summaries of transcripts and documentation, and producing initial drafts of documents. During the trial, the UK Space Agency has drawn on a range of resources, published on GOV.UK, such as the Generative AI Framework, the Ethics, Transparency and Accountability Framework, and the Data Ethics Framework, to inform its use of AI tools, and has been working closely with the Government Digital Service, part of the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, for expert advice and to provide feedback on the Copilot tool.

For what purposes the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that it has not used artificial intelligence over the last 12 months.

For what purposes the Health and Safety Executive has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

A team of data analysts within the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have been undertaking research activities to explore how AI approaches can be used to gain insights from HSE data whilst maintaining strict adherence to data ethics principles. HSE policy is continuously reviewed and updated as innovative technologies arise. These may then be selected for use, following scrutiny within the business to ensure they meet HSE's standards on security, ethics and benefits.

For what purposes the Serious Fraud Office has used AI in the last 12 months.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.During the past 12 months, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has been trialling the use of Technology Assisted Review (TAR), utilising AI, on a live criminal case. The trial demonstrated that TAR could help meet legal disclosure obligations more efficiently.The trial adhered to relevant disclosure guidelines and officials are still making the decisions on what is in fact relevant and what is disclosed.Following the success of the trial, the SFO is planning to use TAR in more SFO cases in the future.

What steps her Department is taking to support children in foster care in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) the East Midlands.

The government is committed to ensuring that every child in care grows up with the love, care and support they need to achieve and thrive.The government is supporting children in care by expanding ‘The Mockingbird Family Model’, which is an innovative, evidence-based approach. Relationships are central to the design of the programme, which involves six to ten satellite families grouped into a constellation around a hub home carer. In East Midlands, this is being delivered as part of the Foster with East Midlands recruitment hub, which launched in March 2024 and comprises of four local authorities, including Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Derbyshire.Across England, ten fostering regional hubs, covering 64% of all local authorities, have been set up to reform the way areas recruit and retain foster carers. An additional £15 million was announced to support this programme at the Autumn Budget 2024 and we intend to move towards full national roll out in the next financial year. Lincolnshire is not currently in a hub, but departmental officials have spoken with local authority leaders about their options to become part of an existing or new hub. In the past year, Lincolnshire participated in Fosterlink, a department funded diagnostic and analysis project to support improved recruitment of foster carers.

For what purposes Ofgem has used AI in the last 12 months.

Ofgem is currently trialling applications of AI, though it is currently in the early stages of exploring the benefits, risks and appropriateness of AI. Ofgem adheres to the Government AI Principles. Trials initiated in the last 12 months include: Social media analysis for monitoring supplier performance and emerging trends in consumer experience.Identifying non-compliance with supplier licence conditions.Providing draft responses prior to human review, to consumer queries.Generating programming codePredicting the financial impact of non-compliance in Ofgem managed schemesSelecting targeted cases for audit to identify fraud across schemesUsing the Government Communication Service (GCS) Connect platform for GCS members, internal to Government

For what purposes the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

In the last 12 months the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has used artificial intelligence (AI) for the following purposes: A limited form of AI has been used by the DVLA’s contact centre in the form of a Chatbot.The Drivers Medical team use a form of AI on a small number of cases. However, it is important to note that a decision on whether to issue a driving licence in these cases is always made by a staff member.An AI solution is used to develop in-house training courses.AI is used to assist with cyber security threat detection and analysis.

Media and Sport, how much funding her Department has provided to youth groups in South Holland and the Deepings constituency in the two latest periods for which data is available; and if she will take steps to increase that funding.

DCMS has not directly provided funding to youth groups for youthwork activities in the South Holland and the Deepings constituency. Local authorities hold the statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people in their area.The National Youth Strategy will be co-produced with young people and the youth sector to ensure it meets the needs of young people right across the country. This Government is also committed to tackling barriers to opportunity for all young people through the Opportunity Mission.

Food and Rural Affairs, for what purposes the Rural Payments Agency has used AI in the last 12 months.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country. The Rural Payments Agency participated in a Central Digital and Data Office led cross-government trial of Microsoft’s AI tool called M365 Copilot, which uses generative AI. This trial started on 7 November and ended on 31 December. M365 Copilot was used for limited tasks, such as note-taking or summarising information, to assess how AI can support day-to-day productivity. RPA have a limited number of licences to explore this capability further. All content produced by Co-pilot AI is checked by a human for accuracy. RPA are not currently using Copilot for customer interactions. The Rural Payments Agency have undertaken AI pilots to support remote sensing, monitoring land, and intelligence on flood detection to deliver environmental outcomes for Defra. Two projects are now operational that use AI and satellite imagery to classify crop types across England and a system to detect flooding on agricultural land. We publish information about algorithmic tools we develop, where they are used in decision-making processes that affect members of the public, using the Algorithm Transparency Recording Standard. The new Government will now examine the findings to inform the next stages of the strategy.

Media and Sport, for what purposes The National Archives has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.The National Archives has used artificial intelligence for over the past 12 months and its officials have, with robust safeguards, piloted the use of AI in several areas, seeking to:Speed up office-based tasks. For example, piloting the transcription of some internal meetings and summarising texts.Improve public services. For example, investigating creating short summaries of record descriptions for the online catalogue and identifying amendments and enabling powers in legislation on legislation.gov.uk.Support the government to better manage its information. For example, investigating AI tools to aid officials in the appraisal, selection and sensitivity review of digital records before their transfer for preservation at The National Archives.Aid research into historical records. For example, transcribing handwritten and printed text in historical records.The National Archives can draw on a range of resources, published on GOV.UK, to inform AI usage. For example the Generative AI Framework, the Ethics, Transparency and Accountability Framework, the Data Ethics Framework and the AI Opportunities Action Plan.The National Archives also has access to the Government Digital Service, part of the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, for expert advice.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the length of waiting lists for a lifesaving organ in Lincolnshire.

The active transplant waiting list in the United Kingdom is above pre-pandemic levels, with people waiting longer for a transplant than they have previously. As of 31 December 2024, there were 6,858 people on the transplant waiting list in England, and 113 people in Lincolnshire, excluding temporarily suspended patients.NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) manage transplant services across the UK. They are working to reduce the number of patients on the waiting list by revising the National Organ Retrieval Service to improve its efficiency, supporting clinical teams to increase the use of extended criteria donors, implementing new technology to improve non-use rates, and encouraging people to register to donate through high profile year-round campaigns including Organ Donation Week, World Sight Day, and World Kidney Day, in partnership with a wide range of charities and community groups.The Department, NHSBT, and NHS England are working together to improve utilisation of all solid organs following recommendations from the Organ Utilisation Group 2023 report. Once fully implemented, the aim is to utilise more donor organs for transplant to save and improve the lives of those on the waiting list.

For what purposes the Crown Prosecution Service has used AI in the last 12 months.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is exploring new and existing technologies, including AI, to enhance efficiency. AI has the potential to support the CPS day-to-day in the delivery of justice. I am keen to explore the opportunities for efficiency that this new technology can bring, being mindful of ethical considerations.A pilot of Microsoft Copilot concluded in August 2024, with approximately over 400 staff across the organisation given access to Copilot to assist them in everyday tasks such as summarising emails, creating PowerPoint presentations, and analysing excel data.The scheme established that that Copilot reduced the amount of time it took staff to complete administrative and day-to-day tasks and has the capacity to save thousands of hours across the organisation.

Food and Rural Affairs, for what purposes OFWAT has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

Your question refers to the time before the current Government, but Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the new Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how Britain delivers public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.Ofwat has conducted a trial of licenced generative AI, making sure it has considered and mitigated security concerns. Ofwat draws on a range of resources, published on GOV.UK, to inform AI usage.Ofwat also has access to the Government Digital Service, part of the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, for expert advice.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of lack of access to NHS dental services on health outcomes in Lincolnshire.

The dental statistics publication Dental Statistics - England 2023/24, published by the NHS Business Services Authority on 22 August 2024, is available from the following link:https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324The data for the Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board shows that 37% of adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist in the previous 24 months up to June 2024, compared to 40% in England, and 51% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months up to June 2024, compared to 56% in England.The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for he policies of trends in the levels of reoffending rates in Lincolnshire in the past five years; and what steps her Department is taking to help reduce reoffending rates in that county.

The overall proven reoffending rate for Lincolnshire has decreased from 28.8% in 2018 to 26.3% in 2022 (the latest year for which reoffending data is available – see Table 1). Despite this overall downward trend, the reoffending rate increased from 24.5% in 2021 to 26.3% in 2022. We have seen reoffending rates increase slightly as we move away from Covid-affected periods (during which reoffending rates were impacted by court closures and other Covid-related operational restrictions). Despite this, rates remain lower than historical levels.Table 1: Rate of reoffending for Lincolnshire across the past 5 years Jan 18 -Dec 18Jan 19 - Dec 19Jan 20 - Dec 20Jan 21 -Dec 21Jan 22 -Dec 22Lincolnshire28.8%25.2%25.0%24.5%26.3%This Government is committed to reducing reoffending by giving people the tools they need to turn their backs on crime, including by investing in getting offenders into employment which we know can reduce reoffending by up to 9 percentage points.  We have, for example, recruited specialist employment leads in prisons to support and prepare prisoners for work on release. This role is currently in place at HMP Lincoln and HMP North Sea Camp, two prisons located in Lincolnshire. We have also recently launched regional Employment Councils, which for the first time will bring businesses together with probation services and the Department for Work and Pensions to support offenders in the community. The county of Lincolnshire is covered by the East, North & West Midlands Employment Council.

For what purposes NHS England has used AI in the last 12 months.

Artificial intelligence (AI) presents significant opportunities within NHS England to improve delivery of care and outcomes for patients by increasing the speed and accuracy of diagnosis, alongside improving staff productivity, by freeing up staff time from some routine and administrative work.Many of these AI technologies are being tested and evaluated in NHS England to aid clinical decision-making, healthcare diagnostics, and imaging. For example, AI has been used to analyse and interpret acute stroke brain scans to support doctors in making treatment decisions in 100% of stroke units in England. In addition, many new technologies have been deployed in over half of acute trusts in England in high-demand areas, such as chest x-rays and chest computed tomography scans, to enable faster diagnosis of diseases like cancer.AI can support clinicians and National Health Service managers in running clinical operations through note taking during mental health consultations, appointment scheduling, and bed management. For example, automated voice to text tools, which use AI to listen to and transcribe patient notes, could help ease the administrative burden faced by staff and make systems more efficient. Several trusts in NHS England are currently running trials, including a multi-site assessment of the impact of using automated transcription software.The deployment of AI in the NHS is still at a relatively early stage, with many AI tools being used in a research capacity. To address this, the Department is carrying out work, with NHS England, to assess the barriers of safe, ethical, and effective adoption and improve the way AI tools are deployed and used in NHS England.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help (a) farmers and (b) food producers use sustainable farming methods in (i) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (ii) Lincolnshire.

This Government’s commitment to farmers and food producers remains steadfast. We will always champion British farming to boost rural economic growth, strengthen food security and improve the environment. Defra has allocated £5 billion for the farming budget over two years. This will include the largest ever budget directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history: £1.8 billion for environmental land management schemes. This enables us to keep momentum on the path to a more resilient and sustainable farming sector, with the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier and Landscape Recovery all continuing. This funding will deliver improvements to food security as well as the environment, in the South Holland and the Deepings constituency and more broadly across Lincolnshire and the rest of the country.