Select committee: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee

Recommendation 10

Tenth Report - Post-pandemic economic growth: UK labour markets Published 21 Apr 2023 Paragraph 82 Addressed to Department for Business and Trade
Recommendation (the committee's words)
We question, however, whether existing regulators have the expertise to perform the functions proposed in the recent White Paper on regulation of AI. If regulators will need to recruit additional staff with such expertise, the Government should consider carefully whether they can do so from existing budgets without compromising other important regulatory functions.

From: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee, Tenth Report - Post-pandemic economic growth: UK labour markets (HC 306), paragraph 82, 21 April 2023

Government response

The government responded to the whole report on 20 July 2023 (deadline 21 June 2023).

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government welcomes the report and points to a strong labour market, accepting little of the structural change recommended: it "do[es] not feel it necessary to further alter the machinery of Government" and "does not agree with the Committee's characterisation of enforcement".

  • On a Ministry of Labour and related structures, it says the existing arrangements will drive effective policy, so it does "not feel it necessary to further alter the machinery of Government".
  • On workplace technology, it "does not believe excessive restrictions on the use of technology are appropriate", nor that the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill is the appropriate vehicle for the Committee's wider proposals.
  • On a single enforcement body, it says it must be "realistic about what we can achieve given the limits on parliamentary time" and is "reviewing what this means" for its creation.
  • On a menopause leave pilot, it "does not believe that introducing or piloting a specific policy for menopause leave is necessary". On the Lifelong Loan Entitlement, it will deliver from academic year 2025/26 but says only that it "can share findings one year after it's commencement".

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