The government launched an AI opportunities action plan last Monday that aims to ramp up AI adoption across the UK.
The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle, believes that the plan shows how the application of AI can be shaped within a modern social market economy.
The plan details how the government intends to lay the foundations that will further enable AI by:
1. Building sufficient, secure and sustainable AI infrastructure: AI requires a large amount of computational power that comes from large and complex computers in data centres.
2. Unlocking data assets in the public and private sectors: AI learns from data, so unlocked data sets, including scientific data sets, that contain data that isn’t currently used in training AI models could be important.
3. Training, attracting and retaining the next generation of AI scientists and founders: To meet anticipated future demand, tens of thousands of additional AI professionals could be needed.
It seems that the plan’s publication has gone down well with business and investors. Within 48 hours of publication, it was reported that more than £14 billion worth of investment into the UK and thousands of jobs had been confirmed.
Does AI have a significant part to play in our future and the growth of the UK economy? Time will tell but there certainly seems to be a will to find out.
To review the plan in full, see:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-opportunities-action-plan/ai-opportunities-action-plan#lay-the-foundations
HMRC have updated guidance on UK VAT refunds for non-UK businesses in a VAT group. Revenue & Customs Brief 10 (2026) explains changes to how non-UK businesses in a VAT group should make future UK VAT refund claims and the transitional arrangements. It also explains how to ask HMRC to reconsider claims made since 1 January 2021 that have been refused.
Mayors across England are to be given the power to charge a tourist tax on overnight stays which would apply to British and foreign visitors alike.