The Government is committed to the safe, ethical and transparent use of algorithmic decision-making and wider algorithmic tools. Transparency is essential to building public trust, enabling accountability, and improving understanding of how algorithms influence decisions and services.

The Ministry of Justice does not hold a separate public register of automated decision-making systems. Where tools fall within scope of the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard, information is published in line with that standard. The Department also has internal governance and assurance arrangements, including an internal inventory of AI-enabled tools and products.

The Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS) is a UK Government standard designed to promote transparency and accountability in the use of algorithmic tools, including artificial intelligence (AI) and automated or algorithm-assisted decision-making systems, across the public sector. It provides a standardised template that enables public bodies to explain what a tool does, why it is being used, how it supports or informs decision-making, the data it uses, the potential risks and impacts that have been identified, and the governance and safeguards in place to manage those risks.

On the basis of current records, the Department does not use AI-enabled tools to take decisions without human involvement. These tools support, rather than replace, professional judgement. Their outputs are reviewed by a suitably qualified person and checked against authoritative sources before being relied upon.

The Government is committed to the safe, ethical and transparent use of algorithmic decision-making and wider algorithmic tools. Transparency is essential to building public trust, enabling accountability, and improving understanding of how algorithms influence decisions and services.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) does not maintain a public register or internal inventory of automated decision-making systems. However, DSIT supports transparency through the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS), which establishes a standardised way for public sector organisations to publish information about how and why they are using algorithmic tools.

The ATRS is mandatory for all government departments, and for ALBs which deliver public or frontline services, or directly interact with the general public. It applies to algorithmic tools which have a significant influence on a decision-making process with public effect or directly interact with the general public.

The scope of the ATRS encompasses many of the most significant uses of automated decision-making and algorithmic tools, and those of the greatest interest to citizens and stakeholders.

The ATRS template, scope and exemptions policy, and the repository of published records are hosted on the ATRS Hub on GOV.UK.

The Government is inviting views and evidence to inform the development of a modern, proportionate and enabling licensing system.

The Government is inviting views and evidence to inform the development of a modern, proportionate and enabling licensing system, building on the work of the Licensing Taskforce earlier in the year.

No assessment has yet been made of the impact of any potential reforms on the ability of licensing authorities to refuse licences where they have concerns within the scope of the current licensing regime. The Government, however, intends there to be no reduction in the existing safeguards relating to public safety, prevention of crime and disorder, public nuisance and protection of children.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) UK ship Register (UKSR) database is live and is not able to identify the number of vessels and shipowners historically.

The Department maintains a year on year record of qualifying vessels operated by the companies in Tonnage Tax. This is based on returns supplied by those companies at the beginning of each training year in October. The returns for the 2021/22 training year produce a total number of 690 vessels. The figures for the requested ship registers are as follows:

Cyprus: 11

Bahamas: 46

Isle of Man: 44

Bermuda: 8

Malta: 46

Liberia: 120

Marshall Islands: 53

Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) officials have not had any discussions with representatives of the ship registers of (a) Cyprus, (b) Bahamas, (c) Bermuda or (d) Malta on the appointment of International Ferry Management as the employer of seafarers on P&O Ferries vessels operating from UK ports.

During their Port State Control inspections of the vessels, the MCA inspectors were presented with a Certificate of Compliance issued by RINA on behalf of the Maltese administration. This demonstrates that the recruitment and placement company, International Ferry Management, operate in accordance with the requirements of the Maritime Labour Convention.

The Department for Transport and the CAA do not currently believe there is any justification on safety grounds for such a measure, and therefore will not be pursuing this. This is due to the findings of the recent independent General Aviation safety review finding both that non-UK / European registered aircraft operating in the UK have an accident rate no higher than average, and that there is no evidence that these aircraft are maintained to a lower standard. Legislation of this type would also impact aircraft registered in the EU that are currently able to circulate freely between the UK and the EU.

The majority of third country registered aircraft based in Europe are non-complex aircraft registered in the US, used for recreational aviation. The Department for Transport recently commissioned an independent review into the safety of recreational General Aviation. Both the review and evidence from the CAA show there is no evidence that overall non-UK registered aircraft are maintained to a lower standard than UK registered aircraft, and that overall non-UK and European registered aircraft do not have a higher accident rate. Introducing restrictions could unnecessarily impact aircraft registered in Europe that are operated and maintained to the same standards as those in the UK.

For these reasons, the Department for Transport does not consider there to be a safety case to proactively discourage UK-based aircraft from being registered to third countries. Further, changes made at European level, which the UK has adopted, have removed some of the incentives for registering an aircraft with a third country. We are closely following proposals by the European Aviation Safety Agency on this topic, and will consider whether a parallel approach would be appropriate for the UK post-Transition Period.

Local authorities have a range of powers to intervene where there is a risk to public saftey.

Figures for the number of vessels operating on each route in 2016 by registration are shown in the table.

Source: Based on DfT port freight and sea passenger statistics, and IHS Global fleet data.

Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 vessels. A single vessel may operate on any combination of the routes shown. Registration was unavailable for a small number of vessels. Figures shown here for the Red Ensign Group do not include the UK Ship Register, which is shown separately in the table.

The Government has made a manifesto commitment to reform the postal vote system, as part of continued work to ensure that our electoral systems are the most secure in the world. Any decision of allowing applications to be made online will be part of that consideration.

Companies House’s internal statistics indicate that 130,000 companies on its active register (around 3% of the total) have not yet provided People with Significant Control information. Companies House is taking action is underway to secure compliance.

No fines or penalties have accrued to the public purse from companies failing to report their persons of significant control in the last twelve-months. Given the evidence required to take forward a prosecution, we would not anticipate any cases going to court until later in 2018.

The consultation on how best to implement the ban on letting fees paid by tenants has been launched and will be open until 2 June 2017. The consultation includes a question around whether any further action is needed to regulate the letting sector in addition to the ban.