Julia Lopez MP: written questions
91 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Artificial Intelligence: BroadbandDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 21 May 2026AnsweredUIN 3819More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the extent to which existing UK fibre and mobile connectivity infrastructure is sufficient to support the adoption of AI technologies across different se
Answer: We are committed to ensuring the UK is the leading adopter of AI in the G7, and the Government will look at how regulation, data and access to finance can support adoption including by working closely with sectoral AI Champions to identify new solutions. ...
Answered 5 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence and Automation: EmploymentDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 21 May 2026AnsweredUIN 3818More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the impact of increases in employment costs on businesses’ decisions on whether to substitute labour with (a) automation and (b) AI.
Answer: The fiscal inheritance demanded tough choices in order to fix our public services, to create long-term growth and investment that supports businesses.Through our plan for small and medium sized businesses we have sought to protect and enable SMEs to prosp...
Answered 5 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordAdvanced Research and Invention Agency: FinanceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 21 May 2026AnsweredUIN 3817More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the proportion of funding awarded by the Advanced Research and Invention Agency to non UK based companies; and how such funding is expected to deliver be
Answer: ARIA was established by Parliament to independently fund high-risk, high-reward research. More than 80% of its funding goes to UK-based teams, and where funding goes abroad, it comes with conditions to ensure it delivers long-term benefits for the UK, suc...
Answered 5 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence: EnergyDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 21 May 2026AnsweredUIN 3816More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the impact of energy prices on the cost and competitiveness of operating AI infrastructure in the UK.
Answer: Energy prices are a critical factor in the cost and competitiveness of operating AI infrastructure in the UK, but they are one of several key considerations, alongside access to reliable grid capacity, a strong digital services market, a highly developed ...
Answered 5 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSovereign AI Fund: Public AppointmentsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 21 May 2026AnsweredUIN 3815More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what process was followed to appoint Suzanne Ashman as Managing Partner of the UK Sovereign AI Fund.
Answer: The Managing Partner of the Sovereign AI Fund has been appointed following a three-month, competitive, five-stage recruitment process involving over 60 candidates. She was judged the strongest candidate on merit against the skills and experience required....
Answered 5 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordTrade Agreements: USADepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 21 May 2026AnsweredUIN 3814More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Answer of 13 April 2026 to question 126666, what recent progress she has made on the establishment and membership of the ministerial-level working group as set out
Answer: 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.We continue to have ministerial-level discussions with the US administration on sc...
Answered 5 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence: ResearchDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 21 May 2026AnsweredUIN 3813More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Answer of 21 April 2026 to Question 128826, when the chips used in the Isambard-AI and Dawn AI Research Resource clusters in (a) July 2024, (b) July 2025 and (c) A
Answer: The Department does not hold information centrally on the procurement dates of individual chips used within the Isambard AI and Dawn AI Research Resource clusters.Hardware for both systems was procured by delivery partners as part of wider system procurem...
Answered 5 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordArtificial IntelligenceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 21 May 2026AnsweredUIN 3812More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her department plans to publish a response to its call for evidence on the AI Growth Lab scheme.
Answer: The AI Growth Lab would be a cross-economy AI sandbox which would enable responsible AI products and services to be deployed under close supervision in live markets. This will unlock cross-economy growth, drive trust and create a mechanism for dynamic, ev...
Answered 5 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence: TrainingDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 21 May 2026AnsweredUIN 3811More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will (a) provide an overview of the methods used by her department to track and report (i) how many individuals have taken courses and (ii) the number of courses delivered throug
Answer: The government is committed to building a digitally skilled workforce to support long-term economic growth, drive innovation and expand individual opportunity. As part of this ambition, DSIT has launched the AI Skills Boost campaign to upskill 10 million ...
Answered 5 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence: TrainingDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 21 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 128829More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will provide the most up to date figures for the number of (i) individuals who have taken courses and (ii) courses that have been delivered, through the Government’s AI Skills Hu
Answer: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Answered 29 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordSovereign AI UnitDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 21 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 128828More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will publish details of any public data sets made accessible to technology firms with which the Government has signed partnership agreements or Memoranda of Understanding in rela
Answer: The Sovereign AI Fund has not made any public sector datasets accessible for technology firms under MoUs or partnership agreements to date.
Answered 27 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence: ResearchDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 21 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 128826More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the volume of compute capacity was at (i) the Isambard-AI and (ii) Dawn AI Research Resource clusters in July 2024, July 2025 and April 2026.
Answer: We are investing up to £2 billion in public compute infrastructure until 2030. This will deliver a new national supercomputer in Edinburgh and expand our AI Research Resource (AIRR) twentyfold by 2030. The volume of compute capacity at the AIRR’s two supe...
Answered 27 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordTrade Agreements: USADepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 13 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 126666More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer provided on 26 February 2026 to question 114130, what recent progress she has made on the establishment and membership of the ministerial-level working group.
Answer: The United States is our close ally and tech partner. We continue to have regular discussions with the US administration on science and technology. This includes discussions on future governance and delivery timelines for the joint initiatives under the T...
Answered 22 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordPatentsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 10 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 125279More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when she expects to publish the outcome to the consultation entitled Standard Essential Patents, published on 15 July 2025.
Answer: The Intellectual Property Office is continuing to analyse responses to its consultation on Standard Essential Patents and will publish its response in due course.
Answered 20 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence: CompetitionDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 12 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120350More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of concentrating Government AI partnerships with a small number of large US technology companies on competition and innovation in th
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring its AI partnerships benefit the UK AI ecosystem and support public and private sector capacity, innovation and long-term UK capability. Engagement with international technology companies is critical to bring world l...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDigital Service Providers: CompetitionDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 11 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 119997More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to public sector bodies of limited competition in the UK cloud infrastructure market.
Answer: In July last year, the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) cloud market investigation identified a number of potential competition concerns with clear negative impacts for UK businesses, consumers and the public sector. The CMA recommended that its ...
Answered 20 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDigital Service Providers: CompetitionDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 11 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 119996More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of technical, contractual and financial switching barriers in the cloud services market on effective competition for UK b
Answer: The Government is committed to supporting a competitive and innovative digital economy. In July 2025, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that certain technical and commercial practices in the cloud market hinder switching and limit effectiv...
Answered 20 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDigital Service Providers: LicensingDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 11 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 119995More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of enterprise software licensing practices on the ability of customers to run software across competing cloud platforms on equivalen
Answer: In July last year, the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) cloud market investigation identified a number of potential competition concerns, including barriers that may limit customer choice and make it harder for businesses to switch or run workloa...
Answered 20 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDigital Service Providers: CompetitionDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 11 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 119994More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has had recent discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority on the timetable for decisions regarding Strategic Market Status investigations into cloud infrastructu
Answer: In July last year, the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) cloud market investigation identified a number of potential competition concerns. The CMA recommended that its Board consider prioritising a future Strategic Market Status (SMS) investigatio...
Answered 20 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDigital Service Providers: CompetitionDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 11 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 119993More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has assessed the potential merits of regulatory intervention in the UK cloud market; and what steps she is taking to help reduce barriers to competition in that m
Answer: In July last year, the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) cloud market investigation identified a number of potential competition concerns. The CMA recommended that its Board consider prioritising a future Strategic Market Status (SMS) investigatio...
Answered 20 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 9 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118849More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what equality impact assessment was carried out before awarding the Nexus AI contract to IBM; and what safeguards are in place to prevent algorithmic bias in those AI tools used in benefits administrati
Answer: An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) was not undertaken at the point of award of the Nexus contract. Nexus is a call-off contract with a broad scope which, of itself, does not directly introduce defined services or functionality into live operations. EIAs ...
Answered 17 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 9 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118848More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, 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 headqua
Answer: 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 pu...
Answered 16 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 9 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118847More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, 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 i
Answer: 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 Fe...
Answered 18 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence: ResearchDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 9 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118846More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how she will measure UKRI progress in meeting priority areas and outcomes of the UKRI AI Research and Innovation Strategic Framework; and how Parliament will be updated on this.
Answer: UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) AI Research and Innovation Strategic Framework, published on 19 February 2026, sets out six priority action areas and associated outcomes to 2031.UKRI will measure progress through the framework’s delivery plan, which i...
Answered 13 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordFood: LabellingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114167More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's consultation outcome entitled Summary of responses and government response, updated on 12 June 2025, on fairer food labelling, what recent progress h
Answer: As set out in the Government’s animal welfare strategy, we are committed to ensuring that consumers have access to clear information on how their food was produced. To support this, the Government will continue working with relevant stakeholders, includin...
Answered 26 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
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