'£400 million each is it? Well hang on...': Boris Johnson's confusion over Bill Gates investment

'£400 million each is it? Well hang on... I think we're going to have to go back to the chancellor': Watch PM's confusion at Global Investment Summit

There was a weird bit of confusion when Boris Johnson met Bill Gates on Tuesday morning.

The billionaire said he was investing £400 million in green technology research in the UK, to be matched by £400 million from Chancellor Rishi Sunak

The prime minister said it was £200 million each. So which is it? A 100% gap sort of matters.

Weirdly the prime minister’s official spokesperson repeated at a briefing for journalists that the investment is just £200 million each.

But Gates twice said at 9.30am in front of business leaders at the government’s Global Investment Summit that it was £400 million each.

When it comes to backing green hydrogen, long life batteries, sucking CO2 from the atmosphere and reducing the green premium for air travel, this difference is pretty much everything.

Around 200 business leaders attended the Global Investment Summit, with investors committing to deals worth £9.7 billion.

The government says the 18 new trade and investment deals will support green growth and create an estimated 30,000 UK jobs.

Mr Johnson said: “The world’s top investors have seen the massive potential in the UK for growth and innovation in the industries of the future.

"The fantastic £9.7 billion of new investment we have secured today will power our economic recovery, creating thousands of jobs and helping to level up across the country.

“This is just the start. We will see new partnerships for green growth forged at today’s Global Investment Summit, as we look ahead to COP26 and beyond.”