UKTCG’s response to the Queen’s Speech

The Queen’s Speech set out a series of Bills due before Parliament in support of Government’s efforts to underpin recovery from COVID-19 and drive forward the levelling-up agenda.

This legislative programme accompanies policy direction set out in March’s ‘Build Back Better’ budget and precedes an expected Autumn Spending Review.

The UK Tech Cluster Group notes Government’s commitment to a lifetime skills guarantee; enabling flexible access to high quality education and training throughout people’s lives; the fastest ever increase in public funding for research and development; and proposed legislation to deliver the Advanced Research & Invention Agency.

Launching the UK Digital Strategy at our Annual Conference in June last year, Secretary of State Oliver Dowden underlined the critical importance of building a highly-skilled digital workforce across every region of the UK, so that people can shift into the digital or tech sectors or digitise their own businesses; driving growth in both the tech sector and traditional industries in order to adapt, survive and thrive in the recovery.

We wholeheartedly agree that Digital Skills and Collaborative Innovation are vital in harnessing the potential of businesses and communities across the nations and regions of the United Kingdom.

Through our work in connecting and supporting businesses large and small and driving skills provision and innovation in our regional ecosystems, we understand the critical importance of local coordination to ensure Government’s policy objectives deliver a recovery that works for businesses, learners and communities at the very grassroots of UK tech.

The group looks forward to continuing to work with the Secretary of State and his Officials to ensure we continue to drive Covid recovery and allow technology ecosystems to flourish UK-wide.