Hugh Gaffney MP Mr Speaker, it has been a privilege to start work here and a privilege to represent the people of Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill who have sent me here to work. I do offer some sympathy to the man I have replaced – … read more
It is commonplace to say that technology is changing almost every aspect of our lives.
Some say the change is greater than ever before, and they may be right.
I wonder, if the child born in 1820, when the fastest anyone could travel was by horse, and any information could travel was by pigeon, would have experienced more change over a lifetime than a child born in, say, 1970, or 1980 will experience over their lifetime.
But there is no doubt that the changes we have lived through, and are living through, are huge.
And they are ultimately underpinned by one thing. The cost of storing and transmitting information has collapsed over a generation, in a way unprecedented since the invention of the printing press in 1454. And now, communication, around the globe, is almost costless – so long, that is, as you can get a signal.
This change has created huge advantages, many beyond measure.
It has allowed ideas to spread, collaboration to happen, people to learn. It has entertained us; saved us time, brought people together.
It has replaced jobs, changed jobs and created new jobs.
And yet we are only at the cusp of the impact of this free flow of data: of artificial intelligence, machine learning, automation of the means of production, distribution and exchange, not just by hand, but increasingly by brain.
As someone who comes from a tech background, I find this change both exciting and daunting.
It offers great promise for humanity, and has the potential to bring dark new threats.
The question we face as a society, is to harness the power of new technology for good, to improve the condition of mankind, and to mitigate those threats.
Rising to the challenge posed by new technology is one of the great challenges of our age.
To get our response right, first we’ve got to get our thinking right.
Let’s just take two areas of impact: the impact on jobs, and the impact on society. Each is itself a huge canvas.
First, the impact on jobs.
Throughout history, new technologies have disrupted the world of work. Today, people worry, in seemingly equal measure, of how we will fill the countless jobs being created by new technology, and what we will do with those made unemployed by new technology.
This argument has been run repeatedly through the ages.
Harold Wilson feared the machines would take all the jobs.
John Maynard Keynes lamented a future of “technological unemployment”.
The Luddites smashed looms because they were replacing the hand weaving technologies of the time. And I should know, because they were led by the Hancocks of Nottinghamshire, and I’m descended from them.
Yes, jobs are being destroyed, and jobs are being changed, but so too are jobs being created. Some say the new blue collar job is coding.
The vital task is to ensure we see redeployment, not unemployment. That we automate work and humanise jobs. And that we harness new technology to save money, improve safety, and build the UK as the best place in the world to develop and deploy new technology.
As Margaret Thatcher herself said:
“Technology is the true friend of full employment, the indispensible ally of progress, and the surest guarantee of prosperity.”
We need to make that true today not by burying our heads in the sand but by equipping people with the skills they need to thrive with the new technology.
The second area where we’ve got to get our thinking right is the impact of technology on society.
While the internet brings incalculable benefits, so too it brings harms, and to harness its benefits we must mitigate these harms.
Parents worry that their children may be vulnerable online in ways they don’t understand. Customers worry what tech companies are doing with their data. Citizens worry that terrorists can use the internet to plan with impunity.
The basic problem is that technology is developing faster than the speed at which society has built new rules to deal with the challenges it creates. As a result, we do not yet have a shared understanding of what is and isn’t acceptable online.
It is the role of Government to lead the way in closing this gap and ensure the right balance between freedom and security in the new digital age.
The internet grew up on a libertarian dream that a lack of rules would bring out the best in everyone. It does bring out the best in most people. But just like offline, not everyone. That’s human nature. So we need to ensure both that people are free, and are kept safe, online as well as off.
This is the underlying thinking behind the Digital Charter that we will introduce.
It will set out a rules-based framework for how businesses, individuals and wider society should act in the digital world.
Our starting point is that the delicate and careful limits that we have honed over generations for life off-line should apply online too. For example, we cherish the long-held principle of free speech. Yet that freedom has established boundaries, which stop people inciting terrorism or violence. And these boundaries must apply equally whether someone is using pen or paper or are writing it on social media.
And if we are successful, the reward is significant. Our aim is to create a world-leading framework that provides the basis for an understanding of the best way to bring this balance throughout the free world.
The stakes are huge. On both counts, the impact of getting things right will be enormous. No country yet has managed it and if we can do so we will have a big advantage, strengthen our digital economy, and make our country more secure.
Ultimately, the prize is significant.
Business, done right, is a force for good in the world. Technology, harnessed right, solves human problems and makes life better. Using data well, and according to sound ethical principles, is fundamental to ensuring we maximise the benefits, and limit possible harms, from all of this innovation.
This is our goal. And our goal is not just practical, but deeply moral too: to improve the human condition by harnessing technology for good. That surely is a prize worth working for.
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Communities Secretary Sajid Javid today (27 June 2017) announced a new independent expert advisory panel to advise on any immediate measures that can be put in place to make buildings safe following the Grenfell Tower fire.
A separate independent Public Inquiry will investigate what happened and who was responsible for the disaster. This expert panel will look at any immediate action that is required so the public can be confident everything possible is being done to make all public and private buildings safe as quickly as possible.
The Panel will be made up of a range of building and fire safety experts, and will be chaired by Sir Ken Knight, former London Fire Commissioner and former Government Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser.
Other core members of the panel will be Dr Peter Bonfield, Chief Executive of the Building Research Establishment, Roy Wilsher, Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council and Amanda Clack, EY partner and President of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. The panel have a wealth of experience in fire and building safety, including testing processes. They will also draw in wider technical expertise as necessary to inform their advice to the Communities Secretary. It is intended that a first meeting of the Panel will take place this week.
Sajid Javid said:
It’s absolutely right that there will be an independent public inquiry to get to the truth about what happened and who was responsible for the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
However, I want to know if there are measures we can put in place now to keep people safe and I want them done immediately. I want the public to be confident everything possible is being done.
That is why I am announcing a new expert advisory panel to advise government on any immediate action that is required to ensure all buildings are safe.
Sir Ken Knight said:
I thank the Secretary of State for appointing me to chair this panel and welcome the opportunity to work with other experts to ensure that our buildings are safe and that we take whatever steps are necessary to ensure such a dreadful incident never happens again.
Dr Peter Bonfield said:
read moreIt is important that the best expertise from across our industry, the research communities, the professions and the public sector is drawn out to support the government and society at this critical time of need. I look forward to working with Sir Ken and drawing in expertise which will help address the challenges faced. I know that the will to positively contribute from professional bodies and others is strong and we will deploy this to support our work.
First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, has today set out his government’s legislative priorities for the year ahead.
In the first of 5 bills, the Welsh Government will introduce legislation that will make it illegal for alcohol to be sold below a set price.
Evidence shows a direct link between drinking harmful levels and the availability of cheap alcohol. The Public Health (Minimum Price for Alcohol) Bill will propose a formula for calculating the minimum price for alcohol, based on its strength and volume, and enable local authorities to enforce the powers and bring prosecutions.
The government is also introducing a bill to stop landlords and estate agents from charging unfair, up-front fees to tenants and prospective tenants in the private rented sector.
Increasing evidence shows the current fees – which can be as high as £700 – are a barrier to people looking to rent their own place and discourage people from moving home. The bill will provide private renters with clarity about the costs involved and ensure the system is fair and sustainable.
Over the next 12 months, the government will also introduce a bill that will pave the way for one of its key pledges – 30 hours of free childcare a week for working parents of 3 and 4 year olds.
Good progress is being made on the childcare offer, with the first pilot set to begin in September. The bill will support this and enable the childcare offer to be rolled out in full by 2020 by creating a national system for applications and eligibility checks.
The Welsh Government will also bring forward legislation to reform local government in Wales. The bill will establish a new relationship between the Welsh Government and local government, create greater transparency in decision making and ensure greater collaboration through mandatory regional working arrangements.
The government will also bring forward legislation in the next 12 months to reform the regulatory controls for registered social landlords in Wales. In September 2016, the Office for National Statistics reclassified RSLs into the public sector. As a consequence, any private sector borrowing by RSLs will become a charge against the Welsh Government’s capital budget.
If not addressed, the change by ONS could restrict the development of new affordable social housing and restrict our own ability to fund other capital infrastructure projects. The Welsh Government’s bill proposes to reform central and local government controls over RSLs, enabling the ONS to reconsider the reclassification and return them to the private sector.
The government is also seeking cross-party support for legislation to remove the defence of reasonable punishment, and will consult on proposals with the intention of introducing a bill in the 3rd year of this Assembly term.
First Minister Carwyn Jones said:
read more“The bills we intend to introduce during the 2nd year of this Assembly will support our efforts to build a Wales that is healthy and active, prosperous and secure, ambitious and learning and united and connected.
“The 5 bills will tackle harmful alcohol consumption, help support working parents, protect tenants from unfair fees and reform and improve local government.
“Last week the UK government set out its legislative intentions in the Queen’s Speech. While wholly unambitious, the statement included the Repeal Bill and other Brexit-related bills.
“As I have repeatedly made clear, the UK government must respect the devolution settlement. If this does not happen, we will consider other options, such as a Continuity bill, to protect Wales’ interests.
“Leaving the European Union will have a significant impact on the business of this Welsh Government and National Assembly. It would be naive to assume that it will not also have an impact on our own legislative programme – but, we will do all we can to keep driving forward progress and delivering for the people of Wales.”