Clik here to view.
Thirty years ago, in 1981, the BBC Microcomputer was launched. Not only did it teach IT skills to a generation of schoolchildren, but it also helped create an ecosystem of hi-tech companies in Cambridgeshire, near to the machine's designer, Acorn Computers. Silicon Fen has experienced fantastic growth in the past 30 years, with technology born in the same labs as the BBC Micro found in 98% of the world's mobile phones. But there is concern about future growth (Report, 9 April). It's vital that we can hire first-rate graduates, yet too little is being done to inspire pupils to take sciences at A-level and university. And while access to venture capital has improved, investment is subdued by ill-conceived accounting rules which require publicly quoted companies to revalue their investments every three months. Because the value of technology startups often fluctuates wildly, this can potentially have devastating effects on share price. If companies are to take the risk, the government needs to change the rules.
Quentin Pain
Chairman, Accountz, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire
