Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
20 May 2026
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Science, Innovation and Technology Committee House of Commons
00:04 - 01:03
Speaker 5
Three, two, one. Good morning, and welcome to today's meeting of the science, innovation, and and technology select committee. So today, we are hearing from, the government's preferred candidate for the chair of Ofcom. So welcome, Syene. This is a crucial time for regulator whose remit spans online safety telecoms and soon data centers, as well as the postal service and broadcasting services so important to so many of our constituents.
I also want to welcome our guests for the session, Liam Byrne, chair of the business and trade committee, and Dame Caroline Dynej, chair of the culture, media, and sport committee, who will help us cover this very wide agreement. And so, Syrian, I will start with the typical interview question. What made you apply for the role of Ofcom chair?
01:04 - 02:07
Speaker 3
The reason was I've been involved in government and business over quite a long period, sort of thirty five years of various forms and previous government experience, including the lead non exec for the government and various government task force. I had been chair of channel four, and when I thought sort of somewhat assumed I would get two terms, and when I didn't get the second term, I was looking for to do one more public appointment if that was possible. And Ofcom really stood out for me of all various other arms length bodies and regulators because I've been regulated by it twice, once a b t Right. Once a channel four. And I've seen what good effective regulation can do, particularly as we built out fiber.
And that was Ofcom was fundamental in re reshaping the regulatory framework to allow fiber build out. Yeah. And then I suppose the the extra incentive was the extraordinary arrival of the online safety act. Right. In the sense of you know, and I know many people in this room probably spent ten years doing it, so I'm deferring to those in the room.
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