Select Committee · Business and Trade Committee

The Semiconductor Industry in the UK

Status: Closed Opened: 25 May 2022 Closed: 26 May 2023 11 recommendations 5 conclusions 2 reports

This inquiry will examine the strengths and weaknesses of the semiconductor industry and its supply chain in the UK. Semiconductor materials are essential in electronics and are used in computer chips in everything from fridge freezers to airliners. The new inquiry comes amidst an ongoing global shortage of semiconductors that has caused widespread disruption to … Show more

Clear

Reports

2 reports
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Sixth Report - The semiconductor industry in the UK: the Go… HC 1115 3 Feb 2023 2 Overdue
Fifth Report - The semiconductor industry in the UK HC 291 28 Nov 2022 14 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items
1 Recommendation Fifth Report - The semiconductor indust… Acknowledged

The UK is an important part of global semiconductor supply chains, but it is reliant...

The UK is an important part of global semiconductor supply chains, but it is reliant upon other countries. The UK alone will not have an end-to-end supply chain for semiconductors, but it has tradeable strengths. The Government should work more closely with allies in the EU and US, and elsewhere, … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government recognises the need to work closely with international partners to guarantee security of chip supply, and is considering opportunities to cooperate directly and through multilateral fora.
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Department for Business and Trade
2 Recommendation Fifth Report - The semiconductor indust… Acknowledged

We ask Ministers to consider whether the above recommendation, on closer working between the UK...

We ask Ministers to consider whether the above recommendation, on closer working between the UK and allies in the EU and US, can be effectively delivered by requesting that the UK be invited to take part in relevant parts of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council. We further ask Ministers … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states that it will pursue plurilateral co-operation with like-minded nations and strengthen bilateral relationships to improve semiconductor supply resilience.
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Department for Business and Trade
3 Conclusion Fifth Report - The semiconductor indust… Acknowledged

The exercise of controls under the National Security and Investment Act is still at an...

The exercise of controls under the National Security and Investment Act is still at an early stage. We note reservations about the speed of some assessments under the Act and under the export control process, and we will be conducting scrutiny of how powers under the National Security and Investment … Read more

Government response AI summary
The Government acknowledges the importance of protecting the UK from national security risks arising from the semiconductor industry and will continue to work to make sure that the use of export and investment controls is clear and easy to understand for businesses.
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Department for Business and Trade
5 Recommendation Fifth Report - The semiconductor indust… Acknowledged

Semiconductors play a hidden but highly significant role in many parts of the UK’s critical...

Semiconductors play a hidden but highly significant role in many parts of the UK’s critical national infrastructure. We request that the Government sets out which elements of the semiconductor supply chain constitute critical national infrastructure. (Paragraph 70) Role of Government Read more

Government response AI summary
The Government recognises the significant role of semiconductors in critical national infrastructure and that ensuring security of supply is a priority; they are already considering risk across critical sectors and the National Semiconductor Strategy sets out plans to assess and action emergent supply chain threats.
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Department for Business and Trade

Oral evidence sessions

2 sessions
Date Witnesses
5 Jul 2022 Americo Lemos · IQE plc, Dr Andrew Rickman · Rockley Photonics, Paul Williamson · Arm, Professor Ken Young · MTC (Manufacturing Technology Centre), Rina Pal-Goetzen · Semiconductor Industry Association, Simon Beresford-Wylie · Imagination Technologies, Simon Thomas · Paragraf, Toni Versluijs · Nexperia UK, Trish Blomfield · Intel View ↗
7 Jun 2022 Alan Banks · TechWorks, Alistair McGibbon · Compound Semiconductor Application Catapult, Dr Andy Sellars · Compound Semiconductor Application Catapult, Jillian Hughes · NMI (National Microelectronics Institute), John Docherty · TechWorks, Martin McHugh · Compound Semiconductor Application Catapult View ↗

Who gave evidence

15 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Alan Banks · CEO TechWorks 1
Alistair McGibbon · Industry Expert Compound Semiconductor Application Catapult 1
Americo Lemos · Chief executive officer IQE plc 1
Dr Andrew Rickman · Chief executive officer Rockley Photonics 1
Dr Andy Sellars · Strategic Development Director Compound Semiconductor Application Catapult 1
Jillian Hughes · Director NMI (National Microelectronics Institute) 1
John Docherty · Industry Expert TechWorks 1
Martin McHugh · CEO Compound Semiconductor Application Catapult 1
Paul Williamson · Senior Vice President and General Manager, Client… Arm 1
Professor Ken Young · Technology Director MTC (Manufacturing Technology Centre) 1
Rina Pal-Goetzen · Director of Global Policy Semiconductor Industry Association 1
Simon Beresford-Wylie · Chief executive officer Imagination Technologies 1
Simon Thomas · Chief Executive Officer Paragraf 1
Toni Versluijs · General Manager, BG MOS Discretes and Country Man… Nexperia UK 1
Trish Blomfield · UK Country Manager Intel 1

Correspondence

3 letters
DateDirectionTitle
6 Sep 2022 To cttee Letter from the Chair to the Nexperia UK Country Manager relating to evidence g…
6 Sep 2022 To cttee Letter from the Chairman of Future Horizons relating to Newport Wafer Fab, 22 J…
6 Sep 2022 To cttee Letter from the Nexperia UK Country Manager relating to evidence given to the C…