Speeches by Griffiths.

“Antony, I would ask you particularly to answer, in addition, how the Government should decide which parts of the digital and technology sector it should be focusing on. We all know how many subsectors there are. Technically, there are nine, but there are a whole bunch of subsectors within that. Where should the Governm…”

“You could also argue that AI is the technology that sits across the different subsectors. If you took cyber versus cloud infrastructure, which are the actual sectors where you think, in this instance, that AI is going to have the most output?”

“We are going to look at sector planning next. Which criteria would you use to judge the success of the Government’s forthcoming sector plan for the digital and technology sector? In which parts of the sector does the UK have a comparative advantage or the potential to build one?”

“On a scale from 0 to 10—so a one-word answer from each of you—how optimistic are you about the prospects for the UK economy over the next five to 10 years?”

“What is changing with this industrial strategy that was not already happening anyway?”

“What about from a Vodafone perspective?”

“What are those things?”

“Antony, do you want to comment more broadly?”

“Why is now the moment that quantum will be able to make the leap that you were talking about AI having made in the last five years?”

“Is it worth, for the rest of the Committee, giving a very brief overview of what is special about quantum, just in case anyone is not aware of it?”

“Specifically on quantum, in your case, Steve, but more widely in digital technology—I would encourage you all to speak to your own sectors—what contribution do you think you will be able to make to the wider growth mission and the delivery of the industrial strategy?”

“That last point is the key to the whole thing, is it not? It sits across the entire economy. I believe you are speaking here on quantum. Is that right?”

“Thank you. Antony, what about from a techUK, trade body perspective?”

“Mr Morris, what about for Vodafone?”

“This question is to all of you. The Government’s No. 1 mission is to be the fastest-growing economy in the G7 by the end of their first term. How well do you think they are doing so far?”

“To what extent should we converge our economic security arrangements with the US? We did not block the Three/Vodafone merger, despite the evidence of close ties between Three’s owners and the Chinese state. Are we being too lax?”

“I am not sure I heard the answer to the question there, but—”

“So if it is not the FCA, who is it?”

“The FCA suggests it is not its job to police standards of firms such as Shein seeking to float on the London stock exchange and sell shares to British savers. Do we need tougher standards for foreign firms seeking British investment?”

“Let’s just move on. If we fail to strengthen our economic security regime, is there any realistic chance of closer trade ties with the US?”