Alan Beddow PPC Warwick & Leamington calls for investment in IT to boost economy.

6.01.31pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 22nd Sep 2009

Alan Beddow chairing a fringe event at the Lib-Dem conference on the Digital Economy

Britain needs to invest in our Digital Economy to remain a world leader in the 21st Century Knowledge Based Economy, says Alan Beddow, Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate.

Investing in the Digital Economy is vital to Warwick & Leamington where there are a significant number of Jobs, from global corporations such as IBM and Accenture to the computer games industry and high tech automotive research.

Alan Beddow Parliamentary Candidate for Warwick and Leamington chaired a fringe event on the Digital Economy at the Lib-Dem conference in Bournemouth on Monday 21st September.

Alan Beddow said, "There is a lot talk about cuts in expenditure, yet at the same time investment in infrastructure, skills and enterprise is vitally needed in areas of our economy. Whatever comes out of the current economic crisis it is clear that information technology will play a large part. Britain is currently a world leader in IT. Yet Britain risks falling behind if we do not make investment, part of a clear strategy for economic recovery."

Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidates took part in a Dragon's Den of prospective parliamentary candidates to grill industry representatives on information society topics at the Liberal Democrat Party Conference. The workshop addressed important issues such as child protection, jobs of the future and delivering public services at lower cost.

Philip Virgo, Secretary General of the Parliamentary Group on the information Society organising the event said, that most other issues would be irrelevant unless the UK can create, attract and retain the wealth-creating jobs of the future.

Dr David Butler of Atkins reviewed the scrutiny of government IT projects, to ask whether the criticism they have been subjected to has been justified.

"Government IT projects not only delivers better public services, it reduces cost to the tax payer. IT Professionals in the area are already helping to make this a reality." Alan Beddow added.