Written questions by Collins.

What steps his Department is taking to develop standards to help with procurement and encourage AI adoption amongst SMEs.

In July, the SME Digital Adoption Taskforce published ten recommendations to help the UK’s SMEs become the most digitally capable and AI confident in the G7 by 2035. We are now working to deliver these recommendations.We have already partnered with Google on a series of events to help SME leaders around the UK explore how AI can help them.DSIT has published AI Management Essentials to help SMEs implement responsible AI governance practices.Also, we are prioritising SMEs in our new system to give them a fair chance at public contracts, with departmental targets and a new SME Procurement Education programme.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support SMEs to (a) implement cybersecurity measures and (b) procure AI systems securely; and whether she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing (i) subsidised support and (ii) guidance to tackle the cost pressures that prevent small businesses from adopting secure-by-design practices.

Improving the cyber security of our nation’s SMEs is critical to the resilience of the wider economy. The Government provides free tools, guidance, and training to help SMEs implement cyber security measures. This includes the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC’s) recently launched Cyber Action Toolkit which provides SMEs with tailored advice.The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) and the NCSC, have introduced several voluntary Codes of Practice, covering Software, AI, and apps and app stores. These measures, co-designed with industry and experts, set minimum security requirements and support SMEs to securely adopt AI systems.We will continue to work with industry and monitor the impact of these Codes of Practice. This will enable us to assess their effectiveness and consider further guidance and incentives to help SMEs confidently implement secure-by-design practices in a cost-efficient way. For immediate assistance, SMEs should get in touch with their regional Cyber Resilience Centre, which are run by the police and the Home Office, and offer free cyber advice and support to SMEs.

What comparative assessment she has made of disparities in AI training and support between (a) state and private schools, and (b) high-performing and underperforming schools; and what steps she is taking to address these inequalities.

The department does not publish comparative assessments of artificial intelligence (AI) training between school types, but we monitor sector capability through the Technology in Schools Survey, which informs our programmes. Earlier this year we published online support materials to help teachers and leaders use AI safely and effectively, developed with sector experts. Our approach benefits all schools and reduces disparities in access and capability.Following the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report on 5 November, we will update the national curriculum to prepare young people for life and work in a changing world. Refreshed programmes of study will include AI, including issues like bias, in addition to digital and media literacy.To ensure consistency, we are legislating so that academies will be required to teach the refreshed national curriculum alongside maintained schools. Content will be shaped through expert engagement, with a public consultation on draft proposals next year.

Innovation and Technology, what steps the Government is taking to showcase departmental AI pilots, including (a) which tools are being used, (b) what safeguards are in place, and (c) what has succeeded or failed; and whether she will publish accessible case studies to provide templates for responsible AI adoption by SMEs, charities, and public sector organisations.

The government is promoting departmental pilots through the PM’s Exemplars Programme, which have been established to learn from high potential AI pilots in areas such as health, education and planning, and share learnings of what works or not. AI tools used in the public sector are also promoted via the public AI Knowledge Hub – a centralised repository of use cases, guidance and prompts - and through an AI Community of Practice available to all public sector workers.All AI projects across Government are safeguarded by access to DSIT’s suite of responsible AI guidance, tools and expertise which enable rapid innovation whilst ensuring a transparent, trustworthy and responsible approach.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the level of risk to UK competitiveness from underinvestment in (a) AI and (b) defence technology; and what steps she is taking to ensure that the UK does not fall behind international competitors in AI development and deployment.

In January, we accepted all 50 recommendations of the AI Opportunities Action Plan, setting out the steps we are taking to ensure the UK does not fall behind the advances in AI made by global competitors but rather is an AI maker, not an AI taker.At the Spending Review, we committed up to £2 billion to deliver this plan, and are now 11 months into delivery. We are investing in the foundations of AI through world-class computing and data infrastructure, for example increasing public compute by 20x by 2030 through the expansion of the AI Research Resource programme, and through the announcement of 4 AI Growth Zone sites since January this year. We will also combine equity investment with other levers to back British businesses to become national champions in critical domains through the £500 million-backed Sovereign AI Unit.DSIT is also working with the MoD to foster a world-leading UK defence technology sector through establishing the UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) Organisation and collaborating on National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF) investment programmes.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to lead international efforts to establish agreed standards for AI safety and ethics in fraud prevention; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the UK's on shaping global AI policies to combat scam operations.

The UK is leading international efforts to raise AI safety standards. Through the AI Security Institute we are building world-first public capabilities to test advanced AI systems and share methodologies internationally. We also work with our international partners across several multilateral organisations and standard bodies, including the G7, G20, UN, OECD, and GPAI to address a range of AI related issues.Domestically, the Online Safety Act requires major platforms and search services to assess and mitigate fraud risks, including those amplified by AI, and take swift action to remove scam content on their platforms.In addition, the Home Office will continue to ensure that Law Enforcement have the capabilities they need to tackle perpetrators who exploit the use of AI, while working closely with international partners and in partnership with the tech industry to build resilience and protect UK public and businesses.

Innovation and Technology, what support her Department is providing to enable local authorities to commission AI skills training for SMEs and community groups in their areas.

The AI Opportunities Action Plan sets out how we can strengthen our AI skills and talent base to ensure AI can be used by workers and the public across the UK. We are providing targeted support to SMEs, training 7.5 million workers with essential AI skills by 2030 and trialing AI traineeships at the National Innovation Centre for Data (NICD) in Newcastle, helping new UK AI graduates to develop industry-ready skill sets by working on real-world projects through industry placements.We are also providing £5m for each AI Growth Zone (AIGZ) to support skills and adoption in the area and we are also ensuring that local authorities keep 100% of all business rates generated by sites where pre-existing arrangements do not exist.We are targeting our funding to where it is most impactful and continue to forge strong partnerships with industry and local government to deliver these initiatives.

What steps he is taking to (a) ensure that medical device manufacturers can verify the General Medical Device Nomenclature categories and associated charges used to calculate their annual registration fees under the Device Online Registration System and (b) minimise duplicative regulatory and registration costs for UK-based manufacturers arising from divergence between the UK regime and the EU’s EUDAMED system.

When the registration system updates for collecting the new medical device registration fee go live on 1 April 2026, the system will have the functionality to show manufacturers the Global Medical Device Nomenclature (GMDN) Level 2 Categories they are being charged for. In the meantime, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will make available, to customers who specifically request this, the breakdown of GMDN Level 2 Categories they would be charged for, based on their registrations this November. The MHRA has made it clear to customers that these are estimates only. This is part of an ongoing MHRA campaign to ask manufacturers to review their registrations before 31 March 2026, to ensure that they have only registered the products they place on the market. Another round of more accurate fee estimates in late February/early March 2026 is planned. The MHRA has strengthened the safety and surveillance system for medical devices following the post-market surveillance legislation, SI 2024 No. 1368, that came into force on 16 June 2025. In addition to the clear benefits to patient safety, the new legislation and resulting increased post-market surveillance requirements are a critical enabler of the MHRA’s more risk-proportionate, pro-innovation approach to regulation that is heralded in the NHS 10-year plan as the MHRA can be more confident in picking up safety issues in real world data. The MHRA post market surveillance depends on the registration of all medical devices in the United Kingdom. The UK is not involved in the European database on medical devices, or EUDAMED, and the market surveillance mechanisms it supports.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s proposed annual registration fees for medical devices under the Device Online Registration System on (a) small and (b) micro medical device manufacturers; and what steps he is taking to ensure that those fees do not disproportionately affect family-run and other niche low-volume manufacturers.

The new medical devices registration fee is designed to be proportionate to the breadth of presence of each manufacturer across the medical device market in Great Britain. In response to consultation feedback, the fee has been set at the minimum number of Global Medical Device Nomenclature (GMDN) Level 2 Categories that cover a manufacturer’s registered products. GMDN Level 2 Categories are sufficiently broad to cover the product range of a typical small or micro company. Based on the registration data held in November 2025, 55% of manufacturers will only pay a single fee of £300. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is currently contacting all manufacturers individually, setting out the number of GMDN Level 2 Categories they would be charged for, based on their registrations in November 2025. This is part of an ongoing MHRA campaign to ask manufacturers to review their registrations before 31 March 2026, to ensure that they have only registered products they manufacture and place on the market. This exercise is likely to increase the number of manufacturers only paying one fee of £300. The MHRA has strengthened the safety and surveillance system for medical devices following the post-market surveillance legislation, SI 2024 No. 1368, that came into force on 16 June 2025. In addition to the clear benefits to patient safety, the new legislation and resulting increased post-market surveillance requirements are a critical enabler of the MHRA’s more risk-proportionate, pro-innovation approach to regulation that is heralded in the NHS 10-year plan as the MHRA can be more confident in picking up safety issues in real world data.

What assessment her Department has made of the need for a dedicated senior official to lead on (a) coordination of policy to support state boarding schools, (b) securing sustainable funding for state boarding provision, and (c) cross-departmental engagement with the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Health and Social Care; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure state boarding schools remain a viable option for Armed Forces and mobile families.

The Ministry of Defence oversees the Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) for eligible service personnel, which provides clearly defined financial support to ensure that the need for frequent mobility does not interfere with a child’s education. This includes supporting parents with the option of using a state boarding school. Further information can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/61684e30e90e07197867eb2b/20211007-DCS_CEAS_INFO_02-CEA_AND_BOARDING_SCHOOL_CONSIDERATIONS_INFORMATION_V4.pdf. Senior officials maintain oversight of state boarding school policy and coordinate, as appropriate, with relevant teams across the department and other government departments on matters such as the national minimum standards for boarding and day pupil fees.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of state boarding schools in supporting the education of children from Armed Forces families and other mobile families as an affordable alternative to independent boarding provision.

The Ministry of Defence oversees the Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) for eligible service personnel, which provides clearly defined financial support to ensure that the need for frequent mobility does not interfere with a child’s education. This includes supporting parents with the option of using a state boarding school. Further information can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/61684e30e90e07197867eb2b/20211007-DCS_CEAS_INFO_02-CEA_AND_BOARDING_SCHOOL_CONSIDERATIONS_INFORMATION_V4.pdf. Senior officials maintain oversight of state boarding school policy and coordinate, as appropriate, with relevant teams across the department and other government departments on matters such as the national minimum standards for boarding and day pupil fees.

What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of section 12(1A) and 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

The UK has one of the strongest counter-terrorism frameworks in the world, but we keep this under continuous review. The Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation provides recommendations to HMG on the effective functioning of the counter-terrorism framework.In January 2025, the Government published post-legislative scrutiny on the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, which introduced the offence in section 12(1A) and made changes to section 13 to ensure it could apply to online displays of support as well as introducing associated police seizure powers.This explained that the section 12(1A) offence has been useful in practice in supporting charging decisions and convictions of individuals whose conduct stopped short of deliberately inviting others to support a proscribed organisation, but rather expressed their support recklessly in such a way that there was a risk of others being influenced to support the organisation, whether online or offline. It also explained that the introduction of seizure powers under section 13 has been particularly important in protest settings, as it offers the police an additional route to deal with displays of support for proscribed organisations, such as flags. However, the police can still arrest individuals under this offence if they consider it necessary to do so.The Government takes proscription offences very seriously, including sections 12 and 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000. Investigations into the activities of proscribed organisations or individuals who demonstrate support for proscribed organisations are an operational matter for the police and intelligence agencies.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the standard corporate insolvency regime for ensuring the timely and cost-effective transfer of client Self-Invested Personal Pensions; and if she will commit to reviewing the case for a bespoke Self-Invested Personal Pensions Operator insolvency regime to better protect retirement savings.

The Government recognises that the insolvency of a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) operator can have a significant impact on customers as we have seen in some high-profile cases recently. The current corporate insolvency regime does enable transfers of client assets in these situation, but HM Treasury is monitoring developments. The FCA regulates SIPP operators, and HM Treasury works closely with the FCA to monitor the sector and address emerging risks.

What steps the Financial Conduct Authority is taking to (a) enhance its oversight of Self-Invested Personal Pension operators and (b) review the capital adequacy requirements for those holding portfolios containing high volumes of non-standard or illiquid assets.

Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs) are a type of personal pension regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) that give savers more choice over how they invest their retirement savings. In December 2024, the FCA published their discussion paper “Pensions: Adapting our requirements for a changing market”. This paper invited feedback about due diligence and client asset requirements in the SIPP market. The discussion paper has now closed and the FCA expects to consult on new proposals in Q1 2026. The FCA continues to monitor developments and remains committed to making sure that its requirements are proportionate and effective.

What steps his Department are taking to review the state pension addition for individuals aged 80 and over; and whether the Department plans to adjust that addition in line with inflation to ensure it provides meaningful financial support.

The 25 pence a week Age Addition is part of the old State Pension, for those who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, and is paid with their State Pension, when they reach the age of 80. The Age Addition is not part of the new State Pension, but for those people who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, the 25 pence Age Addition under the existing rules will continue.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that homes which have received (a) insulation and (b) internal wall insulation under the ECO4 scheme are independently inspected any sub-standard or unsafe work is remediated at no cost to the homeowner, and that the homeowner is informed of their rights to redress.

Government is offering free inspections of all properties where external wall insulation was fitted under ECO4. Ofgem will contact every household with external wall insulation that has not yet been audited. Remediation is already taking place to address substandard and unsafe work, and over half of the issues identified to date have been fixed. They will be rectified at no cost to the consumer. Issues in external wall insulation are substantially higher than those for internal wall insulation. If customers have concerns about the quality of their internal wall insulation, they can contact their original installer or Ofgem’s dedicated helpline.

Whether he plans to make changes to the (a) accreditation, (b) certification and (c) guarantee regime of (i) installers and (ii) retrofit coordinators working under (A) ECO4, (B) future Warm Homes Plan programmes and (C) other Government-funded retrofit schemes to prevent (1) rogue and (2) negligent firms participating.

The government is reviewing the system of consumer protection and oversight for home retrofit installations that improve energy efficiency and decarbonise homes. This work is looking at the entire landscape: from how installers work in people’s homes to where homeowners turn for rapid action and enforcement if things go wrong. More information will be shared in the forthcoming Warm Homes Plan. The government is planning to consult on proposals for retrofit system reform early next year.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring police forces to record thefts (a) from and (b) of light commercial vehicles as distinct crime categories to enable accurate national monitoring of van-related offending.

The Home Office has access to a monthly extract of data from the Police National Computer (PNC) which provides additional intelligence information on the type of vehicles stolen in England and Wales. Such data already enables the monitoring of offences involving the theft of light commercial vehicles and so no additional crime code is needed to identify such thefts.When collecting data for national monitoring purposes there is always a tension between seeking to capture more detail to identify emerging threats, which are hidden within existing broad offence groupings, and adding to recording complexity and burden on the police.The Theft Act covers a wide range of criminality, and the Home Office currently require the police to record such offences under some fairly broad groups such as Theft from a motor vehicle, aggravated vehicle taking, and Theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle.

What steps his Department is taking to develop national guidelines and quality standards for vision rehabilitation services; and if he will commission the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to develop evidence-based standards in this area.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that develops authoritative, evidence-based guidelines and quality standards for the health and care system on best practice. Topics for the development of NICE guidelines and quality standards are identified by the NICE prioritisation board, chaired by the NICE Chief Medical Officer, in line with its published prioritisation framework. NICE does not currently have any plans to develop a guideline or quality standard on vision rehabilitation. The NICE prioritisation board considered vision rehabilitation as a potential topic for the development of guidance in August 2024 and concluded that there is insufficient evidence in this area to develop useful guidance.

If he will bring vision rehabilitation services under the same regulatory and monitoring framework as other adult social care services; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of doing so.

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have the duty to shape their care market and to commission a range of high-quality, sustainable, and person-centred care and support services to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes encouraging a wide range of service provision to ensure that people, including those with sight loss, have a choice of appropriate services and equipment that maximises independence.Although the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is not currently required to assess vision rehabilitation services, as regulated activities under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, sensory services, including vision rehabilitation, do form part of CQC’s overall assessment of local authorities’ delivery of adult social care.CQC assessments identify local authorities’ strengths and areas for development, in their delivery of their duties under part 1 of the Care Act. This facilitates the sharing of good practice and helps us to target support where it is most needed. It may be helpful to know that the CQC will report on sensory services when there is something important to highlight, for example, something being done well, innovative practice, or an area for improvement.