Written questions by Collins.

What steps his Department is taking to provide support or funding to NHS Trusts with paediatric waiting times exceeding 26 weeks.

The Government’s ambition is to restore performance against the NHS Constitutional standard, which requires 92% of patients to start consultant-led treatment within 18 weeks.All waiting lists are subject to clinical prioritisation at a local level. The National Health Service triages patients waiting for elective care, including surgeries, ensuring the order in which patients are seen reflects clinical judgement on need as well as taking into account overall wait time.The Spending Review 2025 has prioritised health, with record investment in the health and social care system, including investment in elective services. Through the Spending Review, the Government announced that NHS day to day spending will increase by £29 billion in real terms by 2028/29 compared to 2023/24.The Department recognises the impact of long waits on children and young people and is committed to reducing paediatric waiting times.Through the Elective Recovery Plan, we have invested in additional capacity, including surgical hubs, community diagnostic centres, and increased use of the independent sector to support challenged trusts.Targeted support is provided via Getting It Right First Time and specialty-specific improvement programmes, including paediatric ear, nose, and throat, and ophthalmology. National planning guidance sets expectations for systems to prioritise clinically urgent cases and those at risk of deterioration.

What guidance his Department has issued to Integrated Care Boards on clinically prioritising children whose symptoms are deteriorating while awaiting paediatric referral allocation.

The Government is committed to ensuring that patient outcomes will be at the heart of building a National Health Service that is fit for the future.National planning guidance sets expectations for systems to prioritise clinically urgent cases and those at risk of deterioration. The NHS triages patients waiting for elective care at a local level, ensuring the order in which patients are seen reflects clinical judgement on need as well as taking into account overall wait time.We have committed to ensuring that integrated care boards and providers have interventions in place to reduce disparities for groups who face additional waiting list challenges, and primary and secondary care clinicians are to improve e-RS functionality, a national digital platform for referring patients into elective care, by including data to enable better prioritisation of children and young people.The clinically led Getting It Right First Time children and young people programme continue to work with providers to ensure they are implementing best practice to improve children’s outcomes and waiting times across all medical and surgical specialities.

What the mandate is for the British Business Bank's direct investment programme in scale-up companies.

The British Business Bank’s mandate for making direct equity investments in scale-up companies is set out in the Statement of Strategic Priorities issued to the Bank by the Secretary of State and the Chancellor. This was published on 21 October 2025. At the 2025 Spending Review, the BBB was entrusted with an additional £4 billion of capital with the goal of accelerating investment into the Industrial Strategy priority sectors. The strategic mandate requires the Bank to “help anchor strategically significant companies in the UK, including through use of the bank’s direct investment capabilities to target priority sectors and technologies.”

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of enabling children waiting over 26 weeks for a paediatric appointment to be seen by alternative NHS-commissioned providers.

Patients in England have a right to request their local integrated care board (ICB) find an alternative provider when they have been waiting, or expect to wait, over 18 weeks to begin treatment for consultant-led care.ICBs are required to take all reasonable steps to ensure the patient is offered an appointment with a clinically appropriate alternative provider with whom an ICB or NHS England has an NHS Standard Contract for the relevant service, who can start their treatment more quickly. Further information is available on the NHS Choice Framework at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nhs-choice-framework/

Whether local authorities are (a) encouraged and (b) required to upgrade street lighting to meet British Standards.

The management of street lighting in England is the responsibility of local highway authorities, who have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highways in their charge, including street lighting. Authorities do not have a duty to light their networks but, where lighting has been provided, the authority has a duty to maintain it. The Government encourages local authorities to consider best practice when making decisions about lighting on their networks and to work closely with emergency services and other key partners when considering the street lighting needs of local communities. Advice is available in the UK Roads Leadership Group’s Code of Practice for Well Managed Highway Infrastructure, which references British Standards for road lighting. The Government has confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment for local highways maintenance over the next four years, bringing annual funding to over £2 billion annually by 2029/30. This funding is provided to local authorities to maintain all parts of the highway network, including lighting columns, bridges, cycleways and footways. In addition to increasing the available funding, the Department has confirmed funding allocations for the next four years, providing greater funding certainty to local authorities. This will help them to plan ahead and move away from expensive, short-term repairs and to instead invest in proactive and preventative maintenance. The Department allocates funding to local highway authorities based on a formula, which takes account of road lengths in each authority area, as well as the number of bridges and lighting columns.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support a coordinated regulatory framework for artificial intelligence across different regulatory bodies.

Given the range of applications of AI and the pace of change, the government recognises that collaboration between regulators is key for an effective regulatory framework. Our expert UK regulators are already collaborating extensively, including through the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum.The government is committed to supporting coordination, collaboration and knowledge exchange between regulators on AI. In response to the AI Action Plan, the Government committed to building the capability of regulators so they are prepared for the opportunities and risks of AI.The government recently launched a Call for Evidence on proposals for the AI Growth Lab – which would unlock AI innovation and adoption by bringing together multiple regulators to trial responsible AI under close supervision.The Department is also working through the Regulatory Innovation Office to embed innovative regulatory practices that support safe experimentation and adaptive frameworks. This includes promoting regulatory sandboxes and testbeds to help regulators and innovators trial AI solutions responsibly, ensuring flexibility without compromising safety.

Innovation and Technology, what progress she has made on the delivery of AI Growth Zones; how many zones have been formally designated; and whether regulatory reforms have been implemented within those zones.

AI Growth Zones (AIGZs) are a national mission to give the UK the world-class infrastructure it needs to lead in artificial intelligence, unlock billions in private investment, and drive long-term economic growth.Following a formal application process, we have confirmed four AI Growth Zones located in Culham, the North East Combined Authority, North Wales, and South Wales. We will continue to review applications and carry out targeted site engagement to confirm future AIGZ locations in due course.On 13 November 2025 DSIT announced a suite of new policy and reforms for enabling AI infrastructure as well as AI Growth Zones that will support access to energy, reduce planning barriers, and tackle energy costs. You can read the full publication here - Delivering AI Growth Zones - GOV.UK.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of copyright law on the ability of companies to train AI models in the UK.

The government consulted on several topics relating to the interaction between copyright and artificial intelligence (AI). We have carefully analysed the responses and continue to engage extensively on this issue, including through technical working groups.The government published a progress update on 16 December 2025 and will publish a report on the use of copyright works in the development of AI systems, and economic impact assessment, by 18 March 2026.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Ofcom's response to harmful content online.

On December 4, Ofcom released a summary of the tech sector's response to the UK's new online safety rules. While there has been progress, further action is needed, including major services. Ofcom has our full backing in using all available powers to protect users.Government also continues to go further– announcing that self-harm, cyberflashing and strangulation in pornography will be priority offences under the Act, ensuring platforms take proactive action to tackle this content.Ministers and officials meet Ofcom regularly to discuss online safety, and we continue to monitor outcomes through our joint evaluation programme.

To provide a month-by-month breakdown of the number of people who are victims of (a) online and (b) offline fraud, for each year from 2020 to 2025.

Fraud is the most experienced crime in England and Wales according to the Office of National Statistics’ (ONS) Crime Survey of England and Wales (CSEW). It accounts for 44% of all estimated surveyed crime committed in England and Wales in the year ending June 2025. The CSEW also estimates that approximately 50% of fraud is cyber-enabled.A month-by-month breakdown of the number of individuals who have experienced online, and offline fraud is not available. However, the ONS provides quarterly figures, the latest of which is available below:www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingjune2025

Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with Ofcom on its classification system for AI chatbots; and whether her Department plans to review the classification of chatbot services as search services.

Last year, Ofcom published a letter that set out that if an AI service searches the live internet to return its results it will be regulated under the Act as a search service.The Secretary of State has confirmed in Parliament that the government will further consider the role of chatbots and how they interact with the Online Safety Act, and has urged Ofcom to use its existing powers to ensure they are safe for children.Where evidence demonstrates that further action is necessary to protect children and the wider public, we will not hesitate to act.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent changes to the eligibility criteria for Indefinite Leave to Remain on British Nationals (Overseas) students who have resettled in the UK.

The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK.BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements. Individuals on the BN(O) route who are studying in the UK will also qualify for the same reduction.We are seeking views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement and will continue to listen to the views of Hong Kongers. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation. An impact assessment will be developed alongside the finalised policy.In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.

What assessment she has made of the level of economic loss from AI-enabled fraud and scams.

The Government does not hold an estimate of the full socio-economic cost from AI enabled fraud. Not all incidents of fraud are reported but reports to Action Fraud which reference the suspected use of artificial intelligence resulted in estimated losses of £0.69m in 2023, £4.55m in 2024 and £3.74m in the period of January to September 2025. Action Fraud was replaced by the improved Report Fraud service on 4 December. It is a self-reporting tool, meaning those making reports will not always be aware if AI has been used and it is not possible to independently verify the use of AI generated content.

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.

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 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.

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 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 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 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.