Oral Answers to Questions

Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh Excerpts
Thursday 22nd October 2015

(9 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Vaizey of Didcot Portrait Mr Vaizey
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We continue to support tech hubs all across the country. I was particularly pleased to recognise Bath Hacked in a speech on smarter cities yesterday. Bath is leading the way in smart city technology and the internet of things; it is so high tech that it would be the perfect place to set the next Bond movie when it is made in the UK.

Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh Portrait Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh (Ochil and South Perthshire) (SNP)
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The Minister will know that Scottish companies are leading the world in the design and export of video games. Does he agree with Chris van der Kuyl, the chairman of Dundee video games company 4J Studios, who told the Scottish Affairs Committee this week that UK immigration policy could prevent companies such as his from recruiting the very best of talent from overseas? Why is this Government’s regressive immigration policy harming world-class Scottish businesses?

Lord Vaizey of Didcot Portrait Mr Vaizey
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We support the video games industry, not least with the £4 million prototype fund, which we recently launched with Abertay University, based in Dundee. I was delighted when Tech North announced last week our new visa policy to allowed highly skilled people into the country to support the highly successful Scottish and indeed UK games industry.