6 September 2012
West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin today highlighted the growth of Malvern’s cyber valley during questions to the Department for Business Innovation and Skills. The MP used the session to promote the successful businesses that are springing up in and around Malvern. Universities Minister David Willetts is expecting to make a visit to meet with the cyber community later this year. Harriett commented: “Cyber Valley is paraded as a example of where brains meet business to deliver an important service to the country as well as contributing to economic growth. “I hope that the Minister will join the ranks of visitors to Malvern to see the great work that is being done. “I will also be persuading the Minister to identify ways that we can help this sector to grow rapidly and to work out what we can do to harness the skills of young people in this field. “A career in cyber security can be very rewarding and we need to encourage the next generation of brilliant brains to choose Malvern to live and work.” FULL TEXT: Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) (Con): If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities. The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (Vince Cable): My Department has a key role in supporting the rebalancing of the economy and supporting business to deliver growth while increasing skills and learning. Harriett Baldwin: The whole new ministerial team will already be aware that Malvern is the capital of cyber-valley owing to the cluster of private cyber-security firms that are located there, close to GCHQ. Will the Minister update me and the rest of the House on the steps that the Department is taking to encourage growth in that important sector, and will he visit Malvern? The Minister for Universities and Science (Mr David Willetts): My hon. Friend is absolutely right about the strength of the cyber-cluster in Malvern. Yesterday evening we held a major conference at the Foreign Office, at which I and colleagues briefed representatives of FTSE 100 companies on the threat to cyber-security, the practical steps that they could take to ensure it and the strength of the British cyber-security industry. | Hansard