Written questions by Mohamed.

Innovation and Technology, what role the AI Safety Institute plays in national security preparedness for advanced AI systems.

This government is taking a long‑term, science‑led approach to understanding and preparing for emerging AI risks, including the possibility of very rapid progress with transformative impacts on society and national security.Through close collaboration with industry and international allies, the government has deepened its understanding of risks, improved AI model security, and built UK resilience against threats.The Government’s National Security Strategy sets out our intent to build the UK national security agenda for AI and other frontier technologies. This agenda will support the development of the UK's AI-enabled defence and security capabilities.This is complimented by the work of the AI Security Institute (AISI), which focuses on emerging AI risks with serious security implications, including cyber misuse, chemical or biological risks, and autonomous AI capabilities.The Government will remain vigilant and prepare for new AI risks, including rapid advancements that could affect society and national security.

Innovation and Technology, what role the AI Security Institute plays in national security preparedness for advanced AI systems.

This government is taking a long‑term, science‑led approach to understanding and preparing for emerging AI risks, including the possibility of very rapid progress with transformative impacts on society and national security.Through close collaboration with industry and international allies, the government has deepened its understanding of risks, improved AI model security, and built UK resilience against threats.The Government’s National Security Strategy sets out our intent to build the UK national security agenda for AI and other frontier technologies. This agenda will support the development of the UK's AI-enabled defence and security capabilities.This is complimented by the work of the AI Security Institute (AISI), which focuses on emerging AI risks with serious security implications, including cyber misuse, chemical or biological risks, and autonomous AI capabilities.The Government will remain vigilant and prepare for new AI risks, including rapid advancements that could affect society and national security.

Whether she will publish the material her Department disclosed to the courts and the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation on Palestine Action.

The material relied upon by the Court in its decision making is referenced throughout the judgment which is publicly available. R (Ammori) v SSHD OPEN Judgment (final)The open material referred to during the proceedings can be requested from the court in accordance with the Civil Rules on Court documents. PART 5 – COURT DOCUMENTS – Civil Procedure Rules – Justice UK. Any material submitted in closed proceedings is protected by the Justice and Security Act 2013 and will not be disclosed for reasons of national security.The Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation has access to secret and sensitive national security information in order to carry out his role. He routinely publishes his findings in reports that are available on his website: https://terrorismlegislationreviewer.independent.gov.uk/

Innovation and Technology, how her Department defines AI loss of control; and whether that definition is shared across Departments.

AI models have the potential to pose novel risks by behaving in unintended or unforeseen ways. The possibility that this behaviour could lead to loss of control over advanced AI systems is taken seriously by many experts.The AI Security Institute (AISI) is researching the development of AI capabilities that could contribute towards AI’s ability to evade human control, as well the propensity of models to engage in misaligned actions.Furthermore, through the Alignment Project – a funding consortium distributing up to £27m for research projects – AISI is supporting further foundational research into methods to develop AI systems that operate according to our goals, without unintended or harmful behaviours.The Government has been clear that we will legislate on AI where needed but we will do so on the basis of evidence where any serious gaps exist.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when she is scheduled to next meet representatives from the Sikh Federation to discuss the detention of Jagtar Singh Johal.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer he received on 9 February in response to Question 108102.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help improve transparency on departmental responsibility for AI risk.

This government is taking a long‑term, science‑led approach to understanding and preparing for emerging AI risks, including the possibility of very rapid progress with transformative impacts on society and national security.Through close collaboration with industry and international allies, the government has deepened its understanding of risks, improved AI model security, and built UK resilience against threats.The Government’s National Security Strategy sets out our intent to build the UK national security agenda for AI and other frontier technologies. This agenda will support the development of the UK's AI-enabled defence and security capabilities.This is complimented by the work of the AI Security Institute (AISI), which focuses on emerging AI risks with serious security implications, including cyber misuse, chemical or biological risks, and autonomous AI capabilities.The Government will remain vigilant and prepare for new AI risks, including rapid advancements that could affect society and national security.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential risks associated with advanced AI systems across government.

This government is taking a long‑term, science‑led approach to understanding and preparing for emerging AI risks, including the possibility of very rapid progress with transformative impacts on society and national security.Through close collaboration with industry and international allies, the government has deepened its understanding of risks, improved AI model security, and built UK resilience against threats.The Government’s National Security Strategy sets out our intent to build the UK national security agenda for AI and other frontier technologies. This agenda will support the development of the UK's AI-enabled defence and security capabilities.This is complimented by the work of the AI Security Institute (AISI), which focuses on emerging AI risks with serious security implications, including cyber misuse, chemical or biological risks, and autonomous AI capabilities.The Government will remain vigilant and prepare for new AI risks, including rapid advancements that could affect society and national security.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of current risk modelling for frontier AI systems.

The AI Security Institute was established to deepen our understanding of frontier AI risks.The Institute works with the national security community and government experts to ensure AI technology delivers on its potential for UK growth, while working with companies to assess and manage the potential risks this technology poses.The Institute’s role is also to ensure AI risk evaluation and understanding is more scientifically rigorous and reliable.Advancing the scientific field of AI safety will help the UK ensure it has the best evidence available to navigate the uncertain trajectories that advanced AI could take.

Innovation and Technology, what information her Department holds on the Artificial Intelligence Security Institute assessment of xAI's Grok.

The AI Security Institute collaborates with leading AI developers to measure the capabilities of advanced AI and recommend risk mitigations, to ensure we stay ahead of possible AI impacts.The Government does not give a running commentary on models being tested or which models we have been granted access to due to commercial and security sensitivities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government has taken in the last six months to fulfil its obligations to prevent genocide under the Genocide Convention in Palestine.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 18 September to Question 72500.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to adhere to the Genocide Convention in relation to the conflict in Palestine.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 18 September to Question 72500.

What steps he plans to take to ensure parliamentary oversight of the proposed changes to NICE regulations.

The proposed amendments to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence regulations were subject to a public consultation, which ran from 9 December 2025 to 13 January 2026. The Department is currently analysing consultation responses and will shortly finalise a statutory instrument (SI) to bring forward secondary legislation to amend the regulations.The SI will be laid before Parliament and will be subject to the negative parliamentary procedure. The policy merits of the SI will be scrutinised by the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee, in line with its terms of reference at the following link:https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/255/secondary-legislation-scrutiny-committee/content/120278/slsc-terms-of-reference/As is conventional, the SI will be laid before Parliament at least 21 days before coming into force to ensure Parliament has adequate time to consider it.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of support for water social tariff across different regions; and what steps she is taking to ensure households in similar financial circumstances are treated equally.

Evidence shows that levels of social tariff provision vary between regions because each water company sets its own eligibility criteria and level of support. The Government keeps support schemes under review and expects industry to do the same to ensure vulnerable customers across the country are supported, and customers know what support schemes are available and how to access them if they need help. Water companies have more than doubled the number of customers that will receive help with their bills through social tariffs – from 4% to 9%.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to make water social tariff (a) eligibility, (b) discount levels and (c) application processes (i) transparent and (ii) subject to government oversight.

Defra expects water companies to ensure that their customers know what support schemes are available and how to access them if they need help. Companies offer a range of support schemes for customers struggling to afford their bills, including social tariffs, WaterSure, debt support schemes, financial hardship funds, flexible payment plans and payment breaks. Defra is working with water companies to ensure social tariffs are more consistent and taken up by those most in need.

How many items of protective body armour his Department has supplied for use by journalists operating in Gaza since October 2023.

The Department for Business and Trade does not supply body armour, and the export of body armour for personal protection when accompanying its user (for their own use) is not subject to export control. Nonetheless the Department has approved 12 licences for the export of protective body armour for use by news organisations in Israel or Palestine since October 2023. Of these, 9 relate to Media Open Individual Licences which allow export to a wide range of countries. Similar equipment has also been licensed for export for use by NGOs in the region. The UK is appalled by the extremely high number of fatalities, arrests and detentions of media workers in the State of Palestine. We have called on all parties to fully uphold International Humanitarian Law and ensure protection of civilians including journalists.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress she has made on making an assessment of the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 12 November 2025 to Question 85800.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to implement the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 12 November 2025 to Question 85800.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on trade with Israel.

We respect the independence of the International Court of Justice and continue to consider the Court’s Advisory Opinion carefully, with the seriousness and rigour it deserves.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Government awarding contracts for software and related services to (a) Palantir and (b) any other overseas technology companies on national security.

The Ministry of Defence has policies and procedures to address the security risk from overseas suppliers, which consider both the nature of the procurement and the potential risks posed by the relevant state. These procedures are in addition to our usual cyber security and resilience controls on all suppliers. We do not disclose details of security risk policy and procedures as they could be useful to a potential adversary.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to raise public awareness of the impact of methane-reducing feed additives used in livestock farming.

We have a system. Methane-reducing food products, including seaweed, oils and synthetic products such as Bovaer, are a key tool in reducing emissions from agriculture by up to one third. Bovaer is approved for use in 70 countries, including those in the EU, Switzerland, the US, Canada and Australia. We are building the market for safe, effective options and helping farmers to adopt them. Such products are approved by the Food Standards Agency, and that advice has not been changed. Bovaer has been reviewed by 100 peer-reviewed scientific studies.