Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 3:45 pm on 3 February 2026.
Lord Leong
Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
3:45,
3 February 2026
My Lords, my noble friend is absolutely right, and this Government will not be a bystander as people worry about what AI means for their jobs and their children’s prospects. AI will create new jobs but it will also change work and, regrettably, will replace some jobs. Change is inevitable. The consequences are not. We will support people throughout this transition by investing in skills and growth, including by establishing the new AI and the Future of Work Unit within DSIT, working with DWP and DBT, to co-ordinate action across government—although I note that however advanced these machines become, they are not yet standing at this Dispatch Box.
If you've ever seen inside the Commons, you'll notice a large table in the middle - upon this table is a box, known as the dispatch box. When members of the Cabinet or Shadow Cabinet address the house, they speak from the dispatch box. There is a dispatch box for the government and for the opposition. Ministers and Shadow Ministers speak to the house from these boxes.
