Extracts from Budget debate - March 8
Thursday, 9 March 2017 08:03
Mr Alan Mak (Havant) (Con): ...From the printing press to the
personal computer, and now to the advent of artificial
intelligence, driverless cars, 3d printing, robotics and
advanced manufacturing that we see today, Britain’s economic
history has been a continuous story of technology substituting for
human labour across all sectors of our economy, as increasingly
sophisticated machines displace workers at a fraction of the cost.
From farm automation to the big bang in the City, we have...Request free trial
Mr (Havant) (Con): ...From
the printing press to the personal computer, and now to the advent
of artificial intelligence, driverless cars, 3d
printing, robotics and advanced manufacturing that we
see today, Britain’s economic history has been a continuous story
of technology substituting for human labour across all sectors of
our economy, as increasingly sophisticated machines displace
workers at a fraction of the cost. From farm automation to the big
bang in the City, we have always embraced technology. That
technological progress has also led to rising productivity gains,
as new jobs are created in new industries. If we want the words
“invented in Britain”, “manufactured in Britain” and “designed in
Britain” to be our hallmark in the 21st century, we have to
continue investing in skills and technical education. That is what
this Budget does.
...In the long term, a new wave of jobs will be created by
businesses harnessing the power of the fourth industrial
revolution. They will harness that power to expand and provide new
jobs and products, from British-made 3D printers to
British-designed driverless cars. Mastering and leading the fourth
industrial revolution must begin with closing the skills gap, so
that Britain’s workers are equipped to take up those new jobs. A
first step is investing in skills, fully understanding the
challenge of automation, and responding decisively and
strategically through a skills review and new investment. Those are
the steps that will get Britain to the future
first...
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