To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department has taken to assess and mitigate risks of bias or discrimination arising from the use of automated decision-making systems.

Within the Ministry of Defence (MOD), decisions supported by automated systems which involve personal data and produce significant effects are subject to appropriate human oversight and review. The MOD’s Data Protection Impact Assessment process identifies, assesses and mitigates risks to individuals by evaluating individual risks and ensuring suitable technical and organisational safeguards are in place before data processing begins. This includes addressing risks around bias, unfairness and discrimination. MOD business areas are required to consider the impact of automated processing to ensure decisions are fair and lawful.

MOD personnel involved in operating and overseeing automated systems receive mandatory data protection alongside learning modules addressing bias and discrimination. MOD guidance concerning Data Protection Impact Assessments mandates that staff understand how automated decision-making tools function, the decision criteria used and how to detect and address potential bias or unfair outcomes.