Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Research and Innovation Funding: Scottish Universities

Wednesday 28 April 2021 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The United Kingdom is investing nearly 15 billion in R&D in 2021-22 to fund work led by world-class universities.
  • Significant investments through UK Research and Innovation and city and regional growth deal programmes have focused on R&D initiatives like clean energy and sustainable farming.
  • R&D investment from the Government is significantly up, and Scottish universities are securing a share of that investment.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Andrew Gwynne Ind Gorton and Denton
Scotland Science & Technology
Context

Scottish universities are facing significant cuts in official development assistance funding, which has led to a loss of £2.5 million each for Aberdeen and St Andrews universities.

Question

What recent assessment has been made of the effect of the recent reduction in official development assistance funding to UK Research and Innovation on Scottish universities?

Answer from Iain Stewart

The United Kingdom is a research superpower with R&D spending at its highest level in four decades. The Government has committed to investing nearly £15 billion in R&D in 2021-22, much of which will be used to fund the work being led by world-class universities.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The effect of the funding reduction on Scottish universities was not addressed specifically.

How: Hedging

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q2 Andrew Gwynne Ind Gorton and Denton
Education Scotland Science & Technology
Context

Aberdeen University has lost £2.5 million in official development assistance funding, affecting a £1.8 million research initiative into the spread of infectious diseases between rodents and humans.

Question

Given that we have recently been reminded of the importance of long-term, well-funded research in responding to a global crisis, what steps are being taken to ensure that these cuts do not impair Scotland's ability to respond to future crises?

Answer from Iain Stewart

All universities have benefited from significant investments through UK Research and Innovation or city and regional growth deal programmes, focusing on R&D initiatives like clean energy and sustainable farming.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific steps to mitigate the impact of funding cuts were not addressed.

How: Changing Subject

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q3 Chris Elmore Lab Bridgend
Education Economy Brexit
Context

Universities Scotland claims the ODA funding cuts amount to a 70% reduction in overseas funding for development projects across universities in Scotland.

Question

Can the Minister explain how these cuts are reconciled with the Conservative Government's idea of their post-Brexit ambition to build a global Britain?

Answer from Iain Stewart

I am willing to discuss individual programmes with universities, but R&D investment from this Government is significantly up and Scottish universities are securing a share of that.

Partly answered

Not addressed: How the cuts align with the vision for a global Britain was not addressed specifically.

How: Changing Subject, Hedging

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email