Academy responds to the Chancellor’s Budget statement

Responding to today’s Budget statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon. Rishi Sunak MP, Professor Sir Jim McDonald FRSE FREng, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said:

“Today’s Budget, including the publication of Build Back Better: our plan for growth, provides welcome recognition of the potential of the UK’s high-growth, innovative technology companies alongside the importance of additional government investment in the green industrial revolution. We welcome the emphasis on ensuring that the UK is internationally competitive, encouraging business investment and ensuring that international innovators working across universities, start-ups, and innovative businesses, can readily bring their skills and expertise to the UK.

“However, our ambitions on net zero, infrastructure and digitalisation are threatened if we do not have the number and diversity of people with engineering and technical skills needed to deliver them. The pandemic has exacerbated inequalities in school age education, hugely disrupted further and higher education, and risks reducing the diversity of young people going into engineering.

“Engineering is a crucial component of infrastructure, skills and innovation – the mechanisms identified by government to drive the UK economy. In Engineering a resilient and sustainable future the engineering profession set out actions that would achieve a recovery that marries economic renewal with the societal goals of spreading opportunity and skilled employment more evenly across the nation and reducing our net carbon emissions to zero by 2050. The engineering profession is ready to work with government to make that a reality.”

Notes for Editors

The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

Media enquiries to: Pippa Cox at the Royal Academy of Engineering Tel. +44 207 766 0745; email: [email protected]