logo
Tech Secretary to cut red tape to make new technology available more quickly

Tech Secretary to cut red tape to make new technology available more quickly

Yahoo10-03-2025

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has said he will cut red tape so that technology like medical delivery drones can be made available more quickly.
He told a tech conference that the Government would prioritise pro-innovation regulation in a dedicated plan for the sector, saying there is 'no route to long-term growth and no solution to our productivity problem, without innovation'.
A trial of medical drones to deliver blood samples in London could be derailed by a single noise complaint, and this is the kind of red tape that will be peeled away so technologies can be brought to market quickly, he said.
It comes as former Conservative minister Lord David Willetts was confirmed as the first head of the new Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO), a role in which he will be tasked with shaping regulatory approaches for new technologies.
The Technology Secretary told the techUK conference: 'Everywhere you see, there is an imbalance of power in this country which has – for too long – made it impossible to imagine a better future for Britain.
'To deliver our Plan for Change we have to shift the balance of power, away from stagnation and old ideas, towards innovation and opportunity, and the bold people building a new future for Britain.
'In doing so, by 2035 we could see a whole new Britain emerge, harnessing the power of technological development, from engineering biology to AI, semiconductors and cyber security, or quantum and future telecoms for a stronger economy and better lives for all in the UK.'
Mr Kyle also announced the 10 winners of Innovate UK's Quantum Missions Pilot, who will receive £12 million between them to help develop quantum computing and networking technologies.
The RIO was launched in October and is intended to reduce the burdens for businesses looking to bring new products and services to the market.
Lord Willetts said he is 'honoured' to take on the role and hailed the 'exciting opportunity to shape regulatory approaches that empower new technologies'.
Among the technologies the body could help make available are delivery drones for medicines and AI training software for surgeons, officials at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said.
Drones could also be looked at in relation to other industries such as faster delivery of packages or groceries.
Lord Willetts served as the MP for Havant from 1992 to 2015, and was paymaster general for a time under Sir John Major, before returning to the government as universities and science minister in Lord David Cameron's administration.
Mr Kyle said Lord Willetts' experience 'will be key to streamlining innovation and unapologetically unleash the innovation that we know can improve lives'.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Over 12,000 Harvard alums lend weight to court battle with Trump in new filing
Over 12,000 Harvard alums lend weight to court battle with Trump in new filing

Yahoo

time15 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Over 12,000 Harvard alums lend weight to court battle with Trump in new filing

More than 12,000 Harvard University alumni have signed onto a legal document in support of the university's lawsuit against the Trump administration. The document, known as an amicus brief, hasn't been officially accepted by the court as of 2 p.m. Monday. It is a reaction to the federal government pulling or freezing nearly $3 billion in funding to the university. 'As alumni, we are deeply alarmed by the Government's reckless and unlawful attempts to assert control over the core functions of Harvard and its fellow institutions of higher education. Without due process or any recognizable basis in law — and with complete disregard for the freedoms the Constitution secures and the constraints it imposes — the Government has embarked on a campaign to deploy every power at its disposal to damage Harvard,' the brief reads. The 12,000 alumni range from being a part of the Class of 1950 all the way through the Class of 2025. Crimson Courage, a community of Harvard alumni whose mission is to stand up for academic freedom, kicked off the campaign for signatures. Several other individuals and groups have or aim to submit court documents in support of Harvard's lawsuit. Among them have been two dozen universities, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Council on Education, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression — also known as FIRE — and Columbia Alumni for Academic Freedom, according to court filings. Read more: 'We are not just fighting for Harvard': For alums, this year feels different 'The Government's escalating attacks — and this case — are about much more than funding. The Government strikes at the very core of Harvard: the longstanding practices and values of openness, free inquiry, and mutual respect, and its founding commitment to veritas — the quest for truth above all,' the brief said. 'The Government's end goal is to narrow our freedoms to learn, teach, think and act, and to claim for itself the right to dictate who may enjoy those freedoms. As alumni, we attest that Harvard's true greatness resides in the ways we share these values and exercise these freedoms, which have long shaped how we understand and connect with one another, and how we anchor our continuing efforts to make a difference in service to the world,' it states. All Ivy League schools are supporting Harvard lawsuit — except these 2 Embassies directed to resume processing Harvard University student visas 'We are not just fighting for Harvard': For alums, this year feels different What a monk, a librarian and a dentist have to do with Harvard's fight with Trump Judge blocks Trump admin from banning Harvard international students from entering US Read the original article on MassLive.

The benefits system is out of control
The benefits system is out of control

Yahoo

time15 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

The benefits system is out of control

The decision to axe the winter fuel payment for most pensioners must rank among the most ill-judged policies introduced by a Chancellor in recent times, and there is strong competition for that accolade. Rachel Reeves made the decision shortly after taking office because she said it was necessary to help plug a £22 billion 'black hole' she had discovered in the nation's finances. Her argument might have had some merit had she not then blown much of the savings on pay rises for train drivers and public sector workers. The juxtaposition of help for Labour's union allies while pensioners shivered rapidly became toxic for the Government, generating one of the fastest reversals of support for any new administration. In the end, with Reform advancing in the polls – and pledging to restore the payment – Sir Keir Starmer ordered a screeching U-turn which the Government maintains is possible because the economy is doing so well, as if anyone believes that. Now, instead of around 1.5 million older people on pensioner credit receiving the payment, it will be paid to about nine million OAPs with an income below £35,000. Why this figure has been chosen is as much a mystery as other 'cliff edge' sums that abound in our overly complex tax and benefit system. Indeed, this U-turn just makes it even more convoluted. Everyone will receive the payment but it will then be clawed back from an estimated two million people earning more than the £35,000 threshold via PAYE or a tax return. In other words, yet more red tape will be imposed to make a quarter of pensioners return an allowance that began life in 1997 as a universal benefit. Although many better-off pensioners often said they did not need the money, and many gave it to charity every Christmas, at least it was straightforward. To some extent so was limiting it to people on pensioner credit, since that is already linked to income. But what is now proposed is a dog's breakfast, with opt-outs and other implications still to be resolved. Tomorrow, Ms Reeves will unveil her spending plans for the next four years. She is being urged to get a grip on the rapidly expanding benefits budget; but if this experience is to be our guide, there is little chance that it will ever be reined in. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.

BLM moving acting Alaska director to senior bureau post
BLM moving acting Alaska director to senior bureau post

E&E News

time30 minutes ago

  • E&E News

BLM moving acting Alaska director to senior bureau post

The Bureau of Land Management's senior leadership shuffle continues. Karen Kelleher, who in March was reassigned from deputy director of state operations to serve as acting director of the bureau's Alaska office, will not be returning to her deputy director's post. Instead, Kelleher will transition to another top headquarters position — assistant director of business management and administration — the bureau announced to senior executives Friday in an email viewed by POLITICO's E&E News. Advertisement The assistant director's position Kelleher will take over on June 29 is responsible for overseeing development of BLM's budget, as well as handling contracts and communicating internal bureau policies and priorities to roughly 9,000 employees. Barbara Eggers, who had held the post since 2019, stepped down last month after accepting the deferred resignation and early retirement offer that allows staffers to stay on the federal payroll through September if they agree to leave as part of President Donald Trump's ongoing efforts to reshape the government workforce.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store