Written questions by Wrigley.

Whether her Department plans to integrate climate and nature-related financial risk into legislative and regulatory reforms arising from the Pension Schemes Bill.

While the Department does not hold data on the proportion of UK pension fund assets allocated to climate solutions, we do require pension schemes to evaluate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors, including climate change, in their investment strategies. Specifically, trustees of larger schemes are required to assess and report on climate-related risks and opportunities, including investments in climate solutions. This reporting is done in accordance with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations. We will be considering whether to update sustainability reporting, following our review of the TCFD Regulations this year, and the outcomes to the two Government’s consultations currently underway on UK Sustainability Reporting Standards and our Transition Plans manifesto commitment. Measures outlined in these aims on improving transparency and accountability across the economy, helping investors—including pension schemes—understand how climate and nature-related issues affect their investment choices. Measures outlined in The Pension Schemes Bill, concerning productive investment and consolidation of UK occupational workplace pension schemes, can significantly benefit social and environmental objectives by enabling larger, more efficient schemes to engage more effectively with companies on ESG issues, and to invest in a wider range of assets, including those focused on sustainability and long-term impact, such as, infrastructure, renewable energy, and other socially responsible projects.

Whether the Pension Schemes Bill will include provisions to (a) support and (b) incentivise investment by pension funds in climate transition-related assets.

While the Department does not hold data on the proportion of UK pension fund assets allocated to climate solutions, we do require pension schemes to evaluate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors, including climate change, in their investment strategies. Specifically, trustees of larger schemes are required to assess and report on climate-related risks and opportunities, including investments in climate solutions. This reporting is done in accordance with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations. We will be considering whether to update sustainability reporting, following our review of the TCFD Regulations this year, and the outcomes to the two Government’s consultations currently underway on UK Sustainability Reporting Standards and our Transition Plans manifesto commitment. Measures outlined in these aims on improving transparency and accountability across the economy, helping investors—including pension schemes—understand how climate and nature-related issues affect their investment choices. Measures outlined in The Pension Schemes Bill, concerning productive investment and consolidation of UK occupational workplace pension schemes, can significantly benefit social and environmental objectives by enabling larger, more efficient schemes to engage more effectively with companies on ESG issues, and to invest in a wider range of assets, including those focused on sustainability and long-term impact, such as, infrastructure, renewable energy, and other socially responsible projects.

Whether the contract for the Federated Data Platform will require Palantir to publish an open standard data schema to enable interoperability with alternative platforms.

The contract for the Federated Data Platform and Associated Services (FDP AS) includes provisions to ensure interoperability and support for market development through the use of open standards. As part of this, the platform is underpinned by the NHS Canonical Data Model (CDM), which provides a consistent and open data schema that all parties connecting to the FDP must use. This ensures that data can be shared and understood across different systems and platforms, supporting interoperability and reducing the risk of vendor lock-in. To further support transparency and innovation, NHS England has taken steps to publish the CDM on GitHub. This enables developers and suppliers to understand the structure and semantics of the data used within the platform, and to build compatible solutions that can integrate with the FDP. The publication of the CDM is part of a broader commitment to openness and technical sovereignty, ensuring that the National Health Service retains control over its data infrastructure and can transition to alternative providers if needed.

Whether her Department has made an estimate of the proportion of UK pension fund assets currently allocated to climate solutions.

While the Department does not hold data on the proportion of UK pension fund assets allocated to climate solutions, we do require pension schemes to evaluate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors, including climate change, in their investment strategies. Specifically, trustees of larger schemes are required to assess and report on climate-related risks and opportunities, including investments in climate solutions. This reporting is done in accordance with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations. We will be considering whether to update sustainability reporting, following our review of the TCFD Regulations this year, and the outcomes to the two Government’s consultations currently underway on UK Sustainability Reporting Standards and our Transition Plans manifesto commitment. Measures outlined in these aims on improving transparency and accountability across the economy, helping investors—including pension schemes—understand how climate and nature-related issues affect their investment choices. Measures outlined in The Pension Schemes Bill, concerning productive investment and consolidation of UK occupational workplace pension schemes, can significantly benefit social and environmental objectives by enabling larger, more efficient schemes to engage more effectively with companies on ESG issues, and to invest in a wider range of assets, including those focused on sustainability and long-term impact, such as, infrastructure, renewable energy, and other socially responsible projects.

What steps NHS England is taking to ensure that (a) access logs and (b) permissions related to NHS data processed on Palantir platforms are independently auditable.

The NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP) is built with robust security and privacy controls to ensure that access to National Health Service data is tightly governed and independently auditable. All user activity within the FDP environment is logged for auditing purposes. These logs are actively monitored by both Palantir’s UK security team and the NHS Cyber Security Operations Centre, to detect and respond to any malicious activity. Security logs are encrypted at rest and in transit, and stored on a secure Security Information and Event Management server accessible only to authorised personnel. Access to data within the FDP is governed by strict controls, including the principle of least privilege and mandatory access control systems. Only authorised users are granted access for approved purposes, and all permissions are subject to audit and review. In addition to these technical safeguards, the FDP Associated Services contract includes audit provisions that allow NHS England to validate and confirm that contractual requirements are being met. These rights of audit are standard within NHS commercial agreements and provide assurance that the platform operates in accordance with NHS England’s expectations and legal obligations.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the compliance of Palantir Technologies Ltd with transparency obligations under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 prior to 2021.

The transparency obligations prior to 2021 would have been managed directly by the awarding department or contracting authority. Details of Government contracts awarded prior to 2021 above £10,000 in Central Government, and £25,000 in the wider public sector, should be published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the drone attack on the vessel Conscience in international waters.

His Majesty's Government officials were in touch with the Maltese Authorities regarding the incident and understand there were no casualties and that no British nationals were aboard this vessel. We continue to discuss with Israeli counterparts the urgent need for the Israeli government to permit the full and unhindered resumption of the flow of aid into Gaza. Israel has clear obligations under international humanitarian law to agree to and facilitate humanitarian aid. The unimpeded entry of assistance at scale to meet the enormous needs in Gaza must be restored immediately. As we've said, the most effective way to meet the desperate needs of the Gazan people at the speed and scale that is needed is via overland routes.

Whether the Federated Data Platform’s architectural governance model includes constraints on cross-domain identity federation between (a) NHS instances and (b) other public sector deployments of (i) Foundry and (ii) Gotham.

Each local organisation operates its own instance of the NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP), for which it is the data controller. These instances are designed to support local autonomy and governance, allowing organisations to opt into core products that enhance patient care delivery.The architectural governance model of the FDP does not include provisions for cross-domain identity federation between National Health Service instances and other public sector deployments of Foundry or Gotham. Instead, the platform enables local organisations to connect and share information currently stored in separate systems, but only where there is a legal basis to do so. This ensures that data sharing is conducted within a safe and secure environment, respecting organisational boundaries and data protection obligations.Further technical and governance details are outlined in the information governance framework for the FDP, which confirms that all data remains within United Kingdom sovereign zones and that access is restricted to authorised personnel. The information governance framework for the FDP is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/federated-data-platform-information-governance-framework/

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to require South West Water to (a) reinstate collaboration with Surfers Against Sewage and (b) provide real-time data to the Safer Seas and Rivers Service.

It is important that the public have access to reliable information on storm overflow discharges. The Water (Special Measures) Act introduced a duty for water companies to publish data related to discharges from all emergency overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. This matches the pre-existing duty for storm overflows, which was introduced on 01 January. To support this, Water UK have launched a central hub that provides discharge data of every storm overflow in England on a single website. As part of Price Review 2024 (PR24), which runs from 2025–2030, water companies will be delivering record levels of investment. This includes South West Water delivering £764 million of investment to reduce storm overflow spills and £55 million to install real-time monitors at high-priority sites. Ofwat will hold water companies to account for the decisions set at the Price Review. Ofwat's claw back mechanism ensures that funding for schemes not delivered is returned to customers, by reducing bills.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to support the development of a public-facing data access tool to allow independent verification of water quality alerts issued by South West Water.

It is important that the public have access to reliable information on storm overflow discharges. The Water (Special Measures) Act introduced a duty for water companies to publish data related to discharges from all emergency overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. This matches the pre-existing duty for storm overflows, which was introduced on 01 January. To support this, Water UK have launched a central hub that provides discharge data of every storm overflow in England on a single website. As part of Price Review 2024 (PR24), which runs from 2025–2030, water companies will be delivering record levels of investment. This includes South West Water delivering £764 million of investment to reduce storm overflow spills and £55 million to install real-time monitors at high-priority sites. Ofwat will hold water companies to account for the decisions set at the Price Review. Ofwat's claw back mechanism ensures that funding for schemes not delivered is returned to customers, by reducing bills.

Whether (a) federated machine learning and (b) transfer learning techniques have been employed in the Federated Data Platform.

Neither federated machine learning nor transfer learning techniques are currently utilised within the NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP).The FDP is designed to support operational use cases such as elective recovery, care coordination, and discharge planning by enabling secure, real-time access to data across National Health Service organisations. While the platform supports advanced analytics and data integration, it does not currently employ federated or transfer learning methods as part of its architecture or functionality.NHS England continues to monitor developments in artificial intelligence and machine learning to ensure that any future applications involving NHS data align with core NHS principles, including safety, fairness, and accountability.

Whether his Department has received representations from (a) Palantir Technologies Ltd and (b) its subsidiaries on combining data functions under a single NHS data contract.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care met with representatives of Palantir on 4 June 2025. The meeting was to discuss the importance of the rollout of the Federated Data Platform, including progress towards having all trusts onboarded. The meeting did not discuss combining data functions under a single National Health Service data contract, and the Department has not received representation from Palantir or its subsidiaries on that topic.

What (a) encryption key management protocols and (b) physical hosting zones are in place to ensure NHS datasets remain (i) logically and (ii) geographically partitioned from Palantir’s multi-tenant infrastructure.

Access to National Health Service health and social care data within the Federated Data Platform (FDP) is tightly controlled. The FDP incorporates advanced Privacy Enhancing Technology (PET), which has been procured from a separate supplier to ensure independence and to mitigate any conflicts of interest.It is a contractual requirement that personal data stored in the FDP and NHS PET cannot be accessed by its own personnel or contractors from outside the United Kingdom. In accordance with General Data Protection Regulation principles of transparency and accountability, NHS England has published details in the FDP Information Governance Framework. This framework is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/federated-data-platform-information-governance-framework/

Whether the Government has issued guidance to help ensure that AI solutions trained on NHS datasets align with NHS principles.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions trained on National Health Service datasets must align with core NHS principles, including safety, fairness, transparency, and accountability. These principles are embedded in the NHS’s approach to digital innovation and data use.To support this, NHS England utilises guidance developed by the NHS Transformation Directorate, which sets out expectations for the safe, lawful, and ethical use of AI in health and care settings. This includes ensuring that AI systems are explainable, that data is used responsibly, and that decisions remain under human oversight.The guidance has been reviewed by the Health and Care Information Governance Working Group, including the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the National Data Guardian (NDG), and is publicly available on the NHS Transformation Directorate’s website:https://transform.england.nhs.uk/information-governance/guidance/artificial-intelligence/This framework helps ensure that AI innovations developed using NHS data are aligned with NHS values and are deployed in a way that benefits patients, supports clinicians, and maintains public trust.

Whether his Department has issued guidance on considering political neutrality when awarding government contracts.

The Procurement Act 2023 requires contracting authorities to act, and to be seen to act, with integrity, and has introduced new requirements to identify and review any potential conflicts of interest in relation to a procurement. Contracting Authorities must now prepare a conflict of interest assessment at key points in the procurement, including details of any actual or potential conflicts of interest and any steps they have taken to mitigate them.

Whether (a) synthetic datasets, (b) model parameters, (c) algorithm weights and (d) derived feature maps generated using NHS training data have been (i) exported to and (ii) accessed from locations outside UK sovereign data zones.

There is no overseas processing of data of any type by the Federated Data Platform (FDP) programme, and this includes synthetic data and all functionalities. This is laid out in the FDP Information Governance Framework, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/federated-data-platform-information-governance-framework/

Whether NHS England has conducted data transfer impact assessments on (a) access, (b) processing and (c) codebase maintenance undertaken by overseas Palantir staff.

There is no overseas processing of data of any type by the Federated Data Platform (FDP) programme, and therefore transfer impact assessments are not required. This is laid out in the FDP Information Governance Framework, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/federated-data-platform-information-governance-framework/

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will require South West Water to publish (a) sites receiving investment under the storm overflow programme, (b) timelines for that investment and (c) expected outcomes at each location.

It is important that the public have access to reliable information on storm overflow discharges. The Water (Special Measures) Act introduced a duty for water companies to publish data related to discharges from all emergency overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. This matches the pre-existing duty for storm overflows, which was introduced on 01 January. To support this, Water UK have launched a central hub that provides discharge data of every storm overflow in England on a single website. As part of Price Review 2024 (PR24), which runs from 2025–2030, water companies will be delivering record levels of investment. This includes South West Water delivering £764 million of investment to reduce storm overflow spills and £55 million to install real-time monitors at high-priority sites. Ofwat will hold water companies to account for the decisions set at the Price Review. Ofwat's claw back mechanism ensures that funding for schemes not delivered is returned to customers, by reducing bills.

Whether (a) outputs and (b) intermediate artefacts generated via Foundry workflows are permitted to be retained by Palantir Technologies for the purpose of product refinement.

All products, outputs, and intermediate artefacts generated within the Federated Data Platform, funded by the National Health Service under the NHS Federated Data Platform Associated Services (FDP-AS) agreement, are the intellectual property of the NHS, and Palantir is not permitted to utilise these for their own purposes. Further information on the FDP-AS is available at the following link:https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/0f8a65b5-23a2-4294-abb1-a7fd8efb3ad0

Whether his Department has had deductions with Palantir Technologies Ltd on (a) profit-sharing arrangements and (b) access to derivative data linked to NHS research outputs.

NHS England has entered into a contract with Palantir, the NHS Federated Data Platform Associated Services (FDP-AS) contract, which is available at the following link:https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/0f8a65b5-23a2-4294-abb1-a7fd8efb3ad0The FDP-AS Agreement does not include provision for profit sharing arrangements and Palantir does not have access or rights to any National Health Service data under the FDP-AS, beyond those as required to perform its function as a data processor under instruction by the NHS.