Tim Clement-Jones
Liberal Democrat member of The House of Lords WHO speaks on digital policy.
Lord Clement-Jones has tabled amendments to the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill that would allow last-resort orders to shut down data centres or large AI systems in an AI security emergency, ahead of Lords report stage on 26 October 2026.
Last refreshed: 12 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Should ministers be able to shut down AI systems in a security emergency?
Timeline for Tim Clement-Jones
Tabled shutdown powers and a narrower managed-service definition
Cybersecurity: Threats and Defences: Peers table AI amendments to cyber billBackground
Tim Clement-Jones has been a Liberal Democrat life peer since July 1998. He has been the party's Lords spokesperson for AI and digital since July 2026, after spokesperson roles on digital from 2017 to 2023 and on Science, innovation and technology from 2023 to 2026. He sat on the Lords Artificial Intelligence Committee in 2017 and 2018.
On the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, Clement-Jones has tabled amendments that would let regulations give the Secretary of State last-resort powers to order data centres or large-scale AI systems shut down in an AI security emergency, and that would narrow 'managed service' to providers with privileged access. Further amendments seek a 12-month review of a Computer Misuse Act defence for security researchers and an annual report to Parliament on incident volumes.
Report stage, the Lords' last line-by-line chance to change the bill, is scheduled for 26 October 2026, after committee stage in July. His amendments make him one of the main Lords voices on how FAR UK cyber law should reach into AI systems.
Clement-Jones seeks AI shutdown powers
Lord Clement-Jones is using the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to write AI into UK cyber law. His amendments, tabled before report stage on 26 October 2026, would let regulations give the Secretary of State last-resort powers to order data centres or large-scale AI systems shut down in an AI security emergency.
He also wants 'managed service' narrowed to providers with privileged access, a change that decides which UK managed service providers the law covers. His other amendments seek a 12-month review of a Computer Misuse Act defence for security researchers and an annual report to Parliament on incident volumes. The bill cleared another hurdle on 7 October, when the Scottish Parliament gave its consent.
