Select committee: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee
Conclusion 3
Fifth Report - The semiconductor industry in the UK
Published 28 Nov 2022
Paragraph 66
Addressed to Department for Business and Trade
Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee The Semiconductor Industry in the UK All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
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 Act are being used via our National Security and Investment Sub-Committee. Nevertheless, it is our view that the overall purpose of the Act in monitoring acquisitions with a view to safeguarding national security is sound. We believe that it has the potential to help meet concerns about hostile access to intellectual property, knowledge and expertise within the semiconductor industry, and such powers should be used to avoid this.
From: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee, Fifth Report - The semiconductor industry in the UK (HC 291), paragraph 66, 28 November 2022
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 25 May 2023 (deadline 28 January 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government has published its National Semiconductor Strategy and sets out its response to the Committee's recommendations, committing to up to £1 billion over the next decade and to working with international partners.
- On funding, the Government says it is investing "up to £200 million" over the next two years and "up to £1 billion" over ten years, and that it will announce plans "by the Autumn" to support semiconductor manufacturing.
- On industry engagement, the Government "agrees" the approach must be industry-led and will formally launch a UK Semiconductor Advisory Panel at London Tech Week in June 2023.
- On supply chain resilience, it commits to publish resilience guidance, establish a government-industry forum and run a crisis and contingency planning exercise, and will evaluate future domestic manufacturing needs through research "reporting in the Autumn".
- On the Nexperia case, the Government says it "still cannot provide any further update" while judicial review proceedings are ongoing.