Select committee: Foreign Affairs Committee
Conclusion 8
Third report - Encoding values: Putting tech at the heart of UK foreign policy
Published 8 Jul 2022
Paragraph 44
Addressed to Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Foreign Affairs Committee Tech and the future of UK foreign policy All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The integration of technology within UK foreign policy should reflect the intrinsic links between the UK’s domestic capabilities and its global influence. The Government’s recent measures to encourage growth and support start-ups within the UK technology sector are welcome, but they have been undermined by the Government’s previous reticence to review and intervene in foreign investments that risk moving strategically important UK businesses overseas. This slow erosion of our domestic capabilities has implications for our ability to project influence internationally. In its response to this report, we ask that the FCDO sets out and then reports back to the Committee on its plans and progress in integrating this work between departments.
From: Foreign Affairs Committee, Third report - Encoding values: Putting tech at the heart of UK foreign policy (HC 170), paragraph 44, 8 July 2022
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 24 October 2022 (deadline 8 September 2022).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government states that it "agrees with the Committee's recommendations for the FCDO" on developing international technology policy, while setting out its approach mainly through the forthcoming International Technology Strategy.
- On the growing influence of private companies, it "accept[s] the Committee's assessment" and says FCDO is expanding its Tech Envoy network to increase engagement with tech companies in different regions.
- On export controls and data, it agrees that data challenges are "a national security liability" but says it does "not believe introducing disproportionate restrictions on data transfers is the right response".
- On FCDO skills, it agrees on the need to "upskill our staff" and commits that FCDO "will also establish a secondment programme with the tech sector", with no date stated.
- On metrics, it "recognise[s] the importance" of them, says performance metrics will sit in an internal implementation plan, and says FCDO "will publish in its annual report and accounts" information on international technology partnerships.