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techUK summarises the Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy and what it means for the tech sector.

The Prime Minister recently (10 May 2020) addressed the nation providing the “first sketch” of a roadmap to restarting the economy and reopening society. 

Yesterday, the meat was put on the bones with the publication of a 60-page document, Our Plan to Rebuild: The UK Government’s COVID-19 Strategy. Here, techUK summarises the Government’s plans and explores what it means for our sector.

A birds-eye view:

The Government is clear that this is a not a short-term crisis, acknowledging that “a mass vaccine or treatment may be more than a year away. Indeed, in a worst-case scenario, we may never find a vaccine”.

With that disclaimer in mind and a commitment to avoid that outcome through investment in science and research, the Government then outlines the next phases of the recovery effort.

The Government’s overall aim is to:

“return life to as close to normal as possible, for as many people as possible, as fast and fairly as possible…in a way that avoids a new epidemic, minimises lives lost and maximises health, economic and social outcomes”.

Underpinning these three factors (health, economic, and social outcomes) is feasibility. Here, the Government chooses to specifically spotlight “the technological risk of any courses the Government pursues” and “the timelines to implement novel technologies”.

Smarter controls:

It remains the case that the fewer social contacts, the lower the risk. Therefore, the Government’s focus as it restarts the economy and reopens society is developing smarter social distancing measures.

For example, the Prime Minister announced that those who couldn’t work from home should be encouraged to return to work with safer guidelines for working to be published this week. Similarly, the Government announced a phased return to schooling with early years, reception, year 1 and year 6 being prioritised, although not before 1 June.

New in the document is an acceptance that a more regional approach may be developed over time: “the Government may adjust restrictions in some regions before others: a greater risk in Cornwall should not lead to disproportionate restrictions in Newcastle if the risk is lower” (page 22). Already, we have seen Scotland and Wales diverge from the messaging tied to this next phase and the paper published yesterday stresses that guidance is for ‘England only’.

For the sector it is clear that technology will play an important role in these smarter social distancing controls. The paper states:

“Many businesses across the UK have already been highly innovative in developing new, durable ways of doing business, such as moving online or adapting to a delivery model. Many of these changes, like increased home working, have significant benefits, for example, reducing the carbon footprint associated with commuting. The Government will need to continue to ask all employers and operators of communal spaces to be innovative in developing novel approaches; UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) will welcome grant applications for proposals to develop new technologies and approaches that help the UK mitigate the impact of this virus.”

Whilst guidance to facilitate a safe return to work is in the pipeline the document published yesterday makes it clear that “for the foreseeable future, workers should continue to work from home rather than their normal physical workplace, wherever possible”. techUK will continue to work with Government and other stakeholders to ensure that businesses and individuals are supported to do this as effectively as possible.

Supporting programmes:

To deliver the phased plan the Government outlines 14 ‘programmes of work’. Many of these programmes have already and will no doubt continue to benefit from the technology sector’s support and innovation, whether that is improving logistics networks, ensuring PPE and critical equipment is delivered to the frontline quickly, or supporting the NHS Volunteer Responders work to connect volunteers to those shielding at home or otherwise vulnerable.

At the heart of determining the Government’s response and the scale of ‘easing’ are the newly developed COVID-19 Alert Levels, as below:

• Level 1: COVID-19 is not known to be present in the UK
• Level 2: COVID-19 is present in the UK, but the number of cases and transmission is low
• Level 3: A COVID-19 epidemic is in general circulation
• Level 4: A COVID-19 epidemic is in general circulation; transmission is high or rising exponentially
• Level 5: As Level 4 with a material risk of healthcare services being overwhelmed

The new Joint Biosecurity Centre, using data and analytical capability, will be able to provide real-time analysis and assessment of infection outbreaks at a community level to determine current alert levels to inform the public and Government, and help determine local authority intervention.

Similarly, the Government is currently testing its contact tracing application to help increase the speed and effectiveness of the tracing effort.

Finally, the paper touches on the economic schemes quickly introduced by the Chancellor to support livelihoods. The paper states, “that these measures are extraordinarily costly and cannot be sustained for a prolonged period of time” and outlines that as the UK adjusts restrictions, the Government will also need to wind down the economic support measures.

Surveys of techUK members and the wider community have demonstrated just how important these measures have been to help businesses and individuals stay afloat. Many in our sector have relied on the Job Retention Scheme to support their workforce through the peak of the pandemic and we envisage that the Future Fund and Innovate UK grants and loans will provide a lifeline to innovative and R&D intensive businesses in the UK. techUK will therefore continue to work with Government to ensure schemes support the recovery and help the economy get back on its feet.

techUK will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available, so please regularly check techUK’s COVID-19 information hub.

The team remain ready and available to assist and support both members and non-members alike. For any specific queries, please write in to our dedicated inbox.