Written questions by Lopez.

Innovation and Technology, what total value of AI-related contracts has been awarded by all Government departments since July 2024; and what proportion has gone to (a) UK-headquartered firms and (b) firms headquartered outside the UK.

Details of central government contracts above £12,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder (https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder).Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023 above £12,000 inc VAT are published on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service. This includes a note of the winning supplier. (https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Search).

Innovation and Technology, how many of the AI-related (a) Memorandums of Understanding and (b) service agreements signed by her Department since July 2024 are with UK-headquartered companies; and what steps she is taking to ensure UK-based AI firms have equitable access to Government procurement.

The UK Government has signed AI-related Memorandums of Understanding with OpenAI, Google DeepMind, NVIDIA, Cohere and Anthropic. All of these firms have significant office presence or headquarters in the UK, and many are expanding here. For example, in February 2025 OpenAI announced it is significantly expanding its presence in London, establishing the city as its largest research hub outside the United States. Google DeepMind is also opening its first automated research lab in the UK this year.To ensure UK-based AI firms have equitable access to government procurement, DSIT has developed an AI Commercial Strategy. This provides a clear model for sourcing AI solutions, enabling government teams to select the most effective route for each need, while using mechanisms that encourage experimentation and support UK SMEs and startups.Our Incubator for AI is also working across government to explore how AI can transform public services. Starting with planning and education, these projects combine political backing, government AI engineering capability, the agility of DSIT's commercial innovation hub, and departmental expertise to bring frontier AI into government and redesign services around citizens' needs.

Innovation and Technology, if she will provide an update on the latest formal negotiations with the US on the UK-US Tech Prosperity Deal; and whether a date for further formal negotiation meetings has been set.

The United States is our close ally and tech partner, and we are committed to ensuring that bond delivers real benefits for hardworking people on both sides of the Atlantic.As the Prime Minister has stated, we are in daily contact with all the key figures in the US administration. We continue to have regular discussions with the US administration on resuming work on the Technology Prosperity Deal and to shape the emerging technologies of the future. This includes discussions on future governance and delivery timelines for the joint initiatives under the Deal.

Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the resumption of negotiations on the UK-US Tech Prosperity Deal.

The United States is our close ally and tech partner, and we are committed to ensuring that bond delivers real benefits for hardworking people on both sides of the Atlantic.As the Prime Minister has stated, we are in daily contact with all the key figures in the US administration. Alongside Cabinet colleagues, we continue to have regular discussions with the US administration, including on resuming work on the Technology Prosperity Deal and continue shaping the emerging technologies of the future.

Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions she has had with her US counterparts on the resumption of negotiations on the UK-US Tech Prosperity Deal.

The United States is our close ally and tech partner, and we are committed to ensuring that bond delivers real benefits for hardworking people on both sides of the Atlantic.As the Prime Minister has stated, we are in daily contact with all the key figures in the US administration. Alongside Cabinet colleagues, we continue to have regular discussions with the US administration, including on resuming work on the Technology Prosperity Deal and continue shaping the emerging technologies of the future.

Innovation and Technology, if she will provide an update on the establishment and membership of a ministerial-level working group as set out in the MOU for the UK-US Tech Prosperity Deal.

The United States is our close ally and tech partner, and we are committed to ensuring that bond delivers real benefits for hardworking people on both sides of the Atlantic.As the Prime Minister has stated, we are in daily contact with all the key figures in the US administration. We continue to have regular discussions with the US administration on resuming work on the Technology Prosperity Deal and to shape the emerging technologies of the future. This includes discussions on future governance and delivery timelines for the joint initiatives under the Deal.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the impact of (a) VAT and (b) other taxation on the viability of the life sciences sector.

The Secretary of State has regular engagement with relevant colleagues on the UK business environment for life sciences sector, to drive the growth of the sector and support the delivery of the Life Sciences Sector Plan.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with the life sciences sector on the application of VAT on medicines supplied free-of-charge via EAMS and other compassionate access schemes.

The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology regularly engages with representatives of the life sciences sector. The issue of the application of VAT on medicines supplied free-of-charge via Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS) and other compassionate access schemes has been raised with Ministers.Application of VAT is determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the nature of the supply. This includes medicines or treatments provided for free under the EAMS.In certain circumstances the giving of goods away for free can be outside the scope of VAT. Where the supply is within the scope of VAT a relief may apply, meaning the supply can be made VAT free.

Innovation and Technology, when she plans to publish her Department's response to the consultation entitled Draft regulations to commence Sections 61 to 64 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022, which was published on 7 May 2025.

As per the commitment made in the Written Ministerial Statement on 21 July 2025, on 15 December 2025 the Department made regulations implementing Sections 61 – 64 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 and published its response to the consultation which ran earlier this year.The regulations will come into force on 7 April 2026.

Innovation and Technology, whether it is still her Department’s policy to finalise s61-64 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022, relating to renewal agreements, by the end of 2025.

As per the commitment made in the Written Ministerial Statement on 21 July 2025, on 15 December 2025 the Department made regulations implementing Sections 61 – 64 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 and published its response to the consultation which ran earlier this year.The regulations will come into force on 7 April 2026.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the level of systemic risk from reliance on two dominant cloud providers following recent outages.

I refer the honourable member to the answer given on 24 November to UIN 92927. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) continues to monitor systemic risks to UK critical national infrastructure from reliance on cloud providers, including resilience measures and contingency planning following recent service outages.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help accelerate the process to designate cloud services with Digital Market Unit's Strategic Market Status to prevent anti-competitive practices in the sector.

The Competition and Markets Authority (the CMA) has completed three Strategic Market Status investigations this year. The CMA is independent of the Government and decisions on which markets to investigate are for its Board. The CMA has published guidance on its website on how it will prioritise Strategic Market Status designations.

Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to help ease restrictive licensing practices in relation to software by large cloud providers to ensure that there is fair and open competition in the sector.

The Government is committed to supporting a competitive and innovative digital economy. This is why we prioritised the commencement and implementation of the Competition and Markets Authority’s (the CMA) new powers in digital markets. The CMA is independent of Government, and any decisions on which markets it next investigates is for their Board.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support access to growth capital for scaling UK tech firms.

DSIT delivers specific policy interventions to unlock growth investment for UK science and technology firms, as well as contributing deep science and technology expertise to initiatives led by others, such as the British Business Bank’s £4bn Industrial Strategy Growth Capital Fund. A second cohort of Science and Technology Venture Capital Fellows will commence training in November, receiving specialist training overseen by DSIT to enable them to launch deep-tech venture capital funds. And, DSIT sponsors the National Security Strategic Investment Fund’s investment arm, making direct investments into companies developing strategically-important dual-use technologies, with increased funding up to £330m for 2026-30.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has had recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the application of VAT for (a) medicines and (b) treatments provided for medical (i) trials or (ii) compassionate use under the Early Access to Medicines Scheme.

The DSIT Secretary of State has not met with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss this particular matter.There has been no recent law or policy change in this area.Application of VAT is determined on a case-by-case basis depending on specific details of the nature of the supplies. This includes medicines or treatments provided for free under the Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS). In certain circumstances the giving of goods away for free can be outside the scope of VAT. Where the supply is within the scope of VAT a relief may apply, meaning the supply can be made VAT free.

Innovation and Technology, what her Department's planned timetable is for the implementation of outstanding provisions in the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022.

As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement [made by the former Minister for Data Protection and Telecoms], we intend to implement the remaining provisions of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 as soon as possible. Subject to considering the consultation responses, we intend to finalise s61-64 of the Act, relating to renewal agreements, by the end of the year.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Answer of 19 September 2024 to Question HL812 on Emily Middleton, whether the relevant background information provided to the Civil Service Commission included that secondment from Public Digital.

The Director General, Digital Centre Design was appointed in line with Civil Service Recruitment Principles. The Civil Service Commission was provided with the relevant background information requested, including Ms Middleton’s full employment history, when approving this temporary appointment. This included Ms Middleton’s CV where the reference to the secondment was made. This text was released in FOI2024-00256 Internal Review.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to Annex A of his Department's FOI release entitled FOI2024-00250: Correspondence about the appointment of Emily Middleton, published on 30 September 2024, if he will publish the document entitled Senior Civil Servant (SCS) Resourcing and Handling of Future SCS Recruitment Exceptions.

The Honourable Member can consult FOI2024-00289, Annex F.

Innovation and Technology, how many (a) contracts were awarded and (b) payments were made to Public Digital by his Department since 4 July 2024.

If the Honourable Member consults Contracts Finder, she will see that the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has not awarded any new contracts to Public Digital since 4 July 2024.No payments have been made by the Department to Public Digital. Payments were made by the Cabinet Office for a pre-existing contract which was inherited mid-contract by DSIT in the Machinery of Government change. Further details can be found on Contract Finder.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2024 to Question HL1281 on Emily Middleton, on what date the declaration of interests was made.

The Propriety and Ethics team were contacted about Ms Middleton’s previous employment on 10 July 2024, this is shown in FOI2024-00289, Annex D.