Draft Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (Security Requirements for Relevant Connectable Products) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025 Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateMartin Wrigley
Main Page: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)Department Debates - View all Martin Wrigley's debates with the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
(1 day, 15 hours ago)
General Committees
Martin Wrigley (Newton Abbot) (LD)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I welcome the move to recognise standards mutually between Japan, Singapore and the UK. It is a clear statement that alignment of specifications and standards can help industry to thrive and is essential in this high-tech world.
For many years, I worked in telecoms, where increasing alignment of standards means that we now have a truly global industry with easy global connectivity. Twenty years ago, we saw the folly of having protectionist views and using different standards. In those days, the mobile world was divided, and we could not use mobile phones from the UK in the USA, or vice versa. Clearly, that cannot work in the age of the internet of things, especially considering the increased need for high security standards. Having multiple standards and certifications is wasted effort and cost for everyone concerned. Will the Minister consider further alignment, at scale, of technical standards with the EU, rather than the path we have been following? Although some have equated deviation from agreed standards with commercial advantage, the reality is commercial disaster.