Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to invest in the development of technologies associated with the fourth industrial revolution.
Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Science and Technology Framework sets out our plan for investing in 5 critical technologies: Artificial Intelligence (AI); engineering biology; future telecommunications semiconductors; and quantum technologies. These have been chosen because they draw on UK strengths and create opportunities for growth, while also supporting national security, and UK goals such as net zero. We have already committed significant investment to those technologies, including £2.5 billion for quantum technologies and £2 billion for semiconductors over the next decade; up to £1 billion through our Semiconductors Strategy; and £1.5 billion in compute infrastructure across the exascale and AI Research Resource (AIRR) programmes.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Centre for Policy Studies Cashing in our Chips: How to strengthen the UK’s semiconductor sector, published on 10 February.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has been leading a review of the semiconductor sector. DSIT has worked with departments across Whitehall to highlight the importance of semiconductors, and of working together to improve the resilience and security of UK supply chains and to deliver economic growth.
The Government regularly monitors publications relating to high-priority sectors such as the semiconductor sector. The Government recognises the importance of the semiconductor industry to the UK and our forthcoming strategy will set out our approach to it.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to semiconductor supply in determining their national security policy.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
His Majesty’s Government recognises the vital role that semiconductor components play across the UK’s defence and other critical sectors.
Semiconductor supply chains are inherently global. The Government is already in initial talks with like-minded nations, including through multilateral fora, in order to safeguard the security and resilience of our chip supply.
Our forthcoming UK Semiconductor Strategy will set out our plans to assess and act on emerging supply chain threats, and to build on our existing protective levers.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government when their Semiconductor Strategy will be published.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has been reviewing the Government’s approach to the UK’s semiconductor sector and intends to set out its support for the sector in the forthcoming UK Semiconductor Strategy. The Strategy will be published in due course.